


Blue Moon on the Rise

by eternalscout



Category: Cardcaptor Sakura
Genre: AU, Cardcaptor Touya, Love rectangle, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-14 20:28:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 54,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10543856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternalscout/pseuds/eternalscout
Summary: Sakura fails the Final Judgment. Everyone forgets the person they love most, as well as about the Cards. A new candidate must be chosen. Unfortunately for Touya, it looks like he's next on the list.





	1. Yukito

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is set directly after the Final Judgment. POV switches each chapter. Hope you enjoy!

****Yukito’s heart lurched in his chest as he jerked upright. He could barely hear anything over how loudly it pounded in his ears.He squinted automatically in the direction of his alarm clock. The glowing numbers read 3:00am.

Somehow, seeing the alarm clock grounded him. His heartbeat gradually slowed and his breathing evened out.

A nightmare. That had to be it. He just wished he could remember what it had been about. It felt important, but the more he tried to remember, the more the vague recollection faded.

Too keyed up to go back to sleep, he pushed the blankets off and stood. The house was quiet, like always. He didn’t mind his grandparents traveling so often, but it was hard not to feel lonely from time to time. He wished his grandmother was there. She always knew the right thing to say in situations like these.

Yukito grabbed his coat, pulling it on over the loose t-shirt he slept in. Wrapping his arms around himself, he stepped out into the night.

The sudden cold outside took his breath away. He shivered, stepping back inside. He grabbed his keys and pulled on his tennis shoes before heading back out. Though he could’ve used his glasses, he had no doubt they would fog up as soon as he brought them outside. He was better off as he was.

Unsurprisingly the streets were empty. The sound of his footsteps echoed loudly off the houses lining the street. They were the only sound. There wasn’t so much as a dog’s bark otherwise. Reaching the corner, Yukito stepped out from beneath the heavy boughs of the trees on either side of the sidewalk.

Without them hanging over him, it was unusually bright out. Looking up, he saw the biggest full moon he’d ever seen. He stopped, staring fixedly up at it.

He gave a startled shout when a heavy hand fell to his shoulder. Whipping around, he found himself face to face with...Touya? Was that his name? They were in the same year and class, but that was the extent of their relationship. To be fair, Yukito wasn’t familiar with most of his classmates.

Touya was better dressed for a midnight excursion, in a pair of jeans and a bomber jacket. Yukito wished he’d changed before coming out. He’d probably have been warmer. He also wasn’t thrilled to be caught out in his pajamas. Touya was one of those guys who always seemed to look effortlessly put together. Maybe he just lacked the confidence his peers exuded, but Yukito tended to feel disheveled by comparison.

“Hey. Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Touya said, dropping his hand from Yukito’s shoulder.

“It’s all right.”

Touya's gaze drifted to the moon. “Glad to see I’m not the only one who can’t sleep.”

Despite them standing nearly chest to chest, Yukito realized he didn’t have an overwhelming desire to step back. Odd, since he’d always been protective of his personal space. Odder since he hardly knew Touya.

Touya stepped back first. The sudden distance left an odd ache in Yukito’s chest. Touya's brown eyes met his. Silence lingered between them and the intensity of Touya's gaze further unsettled Yukito.

“I should go.”

Touya frowned. “It’s late. Let me walk you back.”

Yukito laughed, some of the tension leaving him. It was a relief not to feel the weight of the world on his shoulders. Now it just felt like half the world was weighing him down.

Touya's brows furrowed. “What’s so funny?”

“If you walk me home, who’s going to walk you home?”

He blinked, face warming. “I’ll be fine.”

“Really, it’s okay,” Yukito insisted, turning to head back the way he’d come.

He only made it a few steps before Touya caught his arm. Yukito stumbled, eyes widening. He caught himself, turning back to Touya. Though he knew it was impossible, he swore he felt the heat from Touya's hand despite the jacket and long-sleeved shirt between them.

“Touya?” he hazarded.

Touya seemed to shake off whatever it was that had led him to grab Yukito in the first place. He jerked his hand back as if he’d been burned.

The ache in Yukito’s chest intensified. His eyes and nose started to burn. He took a deep breath, barely managing to keep the inexplicable tears at bay.

If Touya noticed he was in the middle of a mental breakdown, he was kind enough not to say anything about it. At least Yukito would be able to leave with his dignity intact.

The thought should have been a relief.

Yukito took another deep breath, offering him a smile as he took a step away. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

“Don’t do that.”

This time Yukito stopped himself. “Don’t do what?”

“Hide whatever you’re feeling behind that fake smile.”

Yukito’s eyes widened, his mouth going dry. He tried to unstick his tongue from the roof of his mouth to reply. Touya turned and walked away before he had a chance to.

Yukito didn’t immediately walk away. Instead he stood there, rooted to the spot. While he didn’t think he was liable to start crying now, he wasn’t sure if feeling so exposed was much better. He’d stuck to the shadows as long as he could remember, having long ago mastered the art of the wallflower. People didn’t trouble themselves over him. No, people tended to keep him at arm’s length for whatever reason. Like there was something wrong with him.

Sometimes he wondered if they were right. Especially right now.

He watched Touya's retreating back until he turned around the corner. It took more effort than he would’ve thought, but Yukito managed to turn around and begin the trek back home. He didn’t walk on the sidewalk this time though. Somehow walking in the street, in the moonlight, made him feel better.


	2. Touya

When he’d finally returned home the night before, Touya had barely slept. He didn’t even have the energy to harass his little sister that morning, a fact that hadn’t gone unnoticed by Sakura or their father.

Rather than take his bike, Touya chose to walk to school. It was much easier to nurse his thermos of tea with both hands free. He was going to need a hell of a lot of caffeine if he was going to make it through the day on what little sleep he’d managed.

The unseasonable cold seemed to be lingering. He’d forgotten his gloves that morning and was grateful for the heat radiating from his thermos. Nearing a random cluster of trees, he gradually slowed until he came to a stop. Touya couldn’t explain the odd feeling of déjà vu that came over him as he stared at them, let alone the accompanying feeling that something was very wrong. The longer he stood there struggling to remember, the stronger the feelings grew.

Could Tsukishiro be behind it? Touya wasn’t sure how he hadn’t noticed him before. He was normally attuned to the supernatural. Tsukishiro didn’t feel like a ghost though. The only thing Touya was sure of was that Tsukishiro wasn’t human. Once upon a time, the realization might have unsettled him. Growing up with his sensitivities helped mitigate that. Still, Ghosts could be explained. Touya wasn’t sure Tsukishiro could.

**\---**

Reaching the classroom, Touya was one of the first to arrive. He took his seat, pulling out his notebook. His intention was to brush up for the upcoming math test, but the numbers and symbols on the pages failed to hold his attention. As the start of class drew closer, Touya's attention to Tsukishiro’s empty seat only intensified. He couldn’t decide whether or not he was relieved when the guy finally showed up.

If anything, Tsukishiro looked worse than Touya felt. He had dark circles under his eyes that stood out in stark contrast to his pale skin. He watched as Tsukishiro dropped into his seat, vaguely aware he was missing his usual gargantuan breakfast. Apparently that was the only thing Touya had noticed about him up to this point.

Touya was fairly popular. He liked to think he was on good terms with everyone in his class. It bothered him to realize he couldn’t recall having a single conversation with the guy aside from the one the night before.

“Hey!”

Touya jumped in his seat, head jerking in his neighbor’s direction. He must have really been lost in thought to be taken off guard like that. He was usually much more aware of his surroundings.

“Hey, Yoko,” he offered belatedly.

Yoko smiled as she looked past him to Tsukishiro. “Is something wrong?”

“Wrong?”

“You were staring so hard at Yukito that I’m surprised he didn’t feel it.”

Touya's face warmed. “Nothing’s wrong. I was just...thinking.”

Her brows lifted and she sat there in silence. For a brief moment, Touya wondered why he’d declined when she’d confessed her feelings for him a while back. At least they’d become friends after that, even if she tended to see more of him than he wanted her to.

“I just realized that even though we’ve been in the same class for a while now, I’ve never really talked to him.”

Yoko’s incredulous expression softened. “It’s not just you. Yukito’s always kept to himself. He never joined any clubs either, even though the basketball club has been trying to recruit him for a while.”

“How do you know all that?”

This time she was the one who blushed. “I have a friend in the basketball club.”

Was she seeing someone? Better yet, was it any of his business if she was? Touya decided it was better not to ask.

“Why the sudden interest?”

Touya weighed his options before reluctantly offering, “I ran into him last night. He seemed upset.”

She frowned, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Touya's eyes followed the path of her hand, acutely aware of how long it had been since he’d dated someone. Why it suddenly bothered him was beyond him. It wasn’t like he had much time to, what with all his part time jobs. 

“Did you ask him what was wrong?”

Judging by her tone of voice, she was repeating a question he hadn’t heard the first time.

“No. I got the feeling he didn’t want to talk about it. Besides, it’s none of my business. It would’ve been rude of me to ask.”

She pursed her lips in thought. “I guess you’re right. He’s always seemed like a pretty private person. Still, maybe you should have lunch with him or something?”

Touya glanced back in Tsukishiro’s direction. He looked like he was having just about as much success studying as Touya was, judging by his furrowed brow and the distant look in his eyes. “Yeah, maybe I should.”

He made to climb out of his seat only to pause as the teacher stepped into the room. Sighing, Touya sat back down.

**\---**

The morning dragged on interminably. It didn’t help that very time Touya tried to approach Tsukishiro, someone or something got in the way. He resigned himself to just approaching him at lunch and was out of his seat as soon as lunch time rolled around.

Despite his best efforts, Touya wound up being the last one out of the room. He’d always appreciated sitting in the back row until now. Stepping out, he looked around for Tsukishiro, scowling when it seemed like the guy had vanished into thin air.

“He went outside,” Yoko offered at his elbow.

“Thanks,” Touya insisted, starting for the doors that led to the school grounds.

Tsukishiro was easy enough to spot. He was the only other person out there, everyone else having elected to stay inside rather than deal with the cold. Touya approached him cautiously, half convinced he would scare him off otherwise. Tsukishiro didn’t seem to be looking at anything in particular from where he sat underneath a tree.

Up close, he saw that Tsukishiro’s cheeks were already pink with cold. Touya hadn’t realized how pale he was until he saw the color in his cheeks. Was he sick? 

“Hey.”

Tsukishiro didn’t jump that time, but he did frown faintly. Touya saw him start to plaster on that fake smile again, but he caught himself.

“Hello.”

“Mind if I sit here?”

He shook his head. Touya felt him watching him out of the corner of his eye as he sat.

“Did you need something?” Tsukishiro hazarded, tilting his head.

Touya wished he’d brought Yoko for this. He wasn’t good at this sort of thing. Whatever this sort of thing was. “No, I just…” He trailed off.

Tsukishiro gave him his full attention then, but he didn’t press him to continue 

Touya frowned, tucking one leg up and resting his arm on it. He looked away. “You just seemed upset last night. That’s all. I wanted to ask if you were all right.”

When Tsukishiro didn’t answer, he hazarded a look back in his direction. His stomach clenched at the telltale shine to Tsukishiro’s eyes. Oh, hell.

Tsukishiro lifted his glasses, wiping briefly at his eyes. He managed a weak smile before offering in a husky voice, “I’m all right. Thank you for checking on me.”

Touya floundered a moment before nodding helplessly. Why he’d thought the guy would open up to him in the first place was beyond him.

“Have you eaten yet?”

Tsukishiro blinked. “Ah, no. I’m not feeling very hungry today.”

Something about that statement bothered the hell out of Touya. “What about breakfast?”

He shook his head, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.

Touya hadn’t thought it was possible for him to feel overprotective of someone other than Sakura. Apparently he was wrong. “You should eat something.”

“Really, I’m fine.”

Touya stood, frowning hard down at him. Without a word, he stalked off to the cafeteria.

Tsukishiro was right where he’d left him upon his return. Touya ignored the startled look on his face and dropped a bag on his knees, forcing him to unfold lest he drop it. Mission accomplished, Touya sat down beside him. Opening his own bag, he pulled out a pork bun, taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully. 

He could feel Tsukishiro staring at him again. He refused to turn toward him. Regardless, he slumped with relief when he heard Tsukishiro open the bag.

“Thank you, Touya,” he murmured.

Touya nodded, letting a companionable silence fall between them as they ate. Just as he’d suspected, once Tsukishiro started going, he finished all three servings Touya had brought him. Only then did Touya look over, oddly pleased to see some of the guy’s color had returned.

They didn’t talk for the rest of lunch, but it didn’t bother Touya. By the time they headed back to class, Tsukishiro’s real smile had returned, though it wasn’t as vibrant as usual.


	3. Yukito

Yukito didn’t know what he’d done to earn Touya's friendship, if friendship was even the right word. In the week since they’d had lunch together, Touya seemed determined to become his shadow. They’d had lunch every day together since then. Somehow Yukito wasn’t surprised to find Touya waiting outside his house on Monday morning.

“Good morning,” Yukito offered.

“Morning,” Touya echoed, starting toward the school.

Yukito fell into step beside him.

They didn’t talk as they walked. Most of the time they didn’t talk, so it wasn’t unusual. Yukito had a sneaking suspicion that deep down, Touya was shy.

Yukito caught himself staring, realizing for the first time that despite his perpetual frown, there was something undeniably handsome about Touya. The moment the thought crossed his mind, he quickly turned away. Touya glanced toward him, but thankfully didn’t ask.

Maybe the thought he found another guy handsome should have surprised him. As someone who’d never really been attracted to anyone before, he was far more focused on that rather than on the fact Touya was a guy.

The walk passed too quickly as far as Yukito was concerned, but maybe it was for the best. The last thing he wanted was to ruin his budding friendship with Touya by getting caught ogling him. They reached the classroom just before class started and Yukito took his seat, smiling faintly to himself.

Ms. Chiaki greeted them with a smile before launching into the morning announcements.

“Everyone, we have a new student joining us today. His name is Eriol Hiiragizawa. He just moved here from England.”

As she spoke, a dark haired boy with glasses stepped into the room. Yukito didn’t see anything particularly unique as far as his appearance was concerned, yet he found himself staring regardless. Eriol met his gaze, a slow smile spreading across his face.

“Yukito, would you mind buddying up with Eriol and showing him around?” Ms. Chiaki asked.

Yukito struggled to tear his gaze away, managing a tight nod. “Yes, ma’am.”

Eriol’s smile widened and he took the empty desk behind Yukito. Though Ms. Chiaki continued with the announcements, Yukito struggled to concentrate. Every sound Eriol made, from the scrape of his chair being pulled out to soft thud of his bag settling on the floor, kept capturing his attention.

Just when he began to focus once more on Ms. Chiaki, Eriol spoke up behind him, voice barely audible. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you, Yukito.”

Yukito’s breath caught and for a brief moment, it felt like the world was spinning around him. As quickly as the sensation came on, it was gone again. “M-Me too,” he managed.

He grabbed hold of the edge of his desk with both hands when he realized they were shaking. The wood pressed almost painfully into his palms, but the feeling grounded him.

“Are you alright?” Eriol asked.

Yukito turned back to him. Eriol’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. He reached out, resting a hand on Yukito’s shoulder.

He’d thought Touya's touch was electrifying, but it paled in comparison to Eriol’s. While Touya's hand had felt like a warm weight on his arm, Eriol’s flooded him with a different sort of heat. There was something familiar about it, something that eased the growing disquiet in him. For the first time since he’d woken from his nightmare, he felt at peace.

The sensation lingered even after Eriol removed his hand. Yukito had to force back the part of him that  wanted more. More what, he didn’t know.

By the time Ms. Chiaki passed out the math test, he felt able to focus again. His hand was steady as he picked up his pencil. As badly as he wanted to ask what had happened, he forced himself to put the full of his attention to the test. He finished just before Eriol did, dropping the paper on Ms. Chiaki’s desk and starting to the door. He waited for Eriol to join him before starting down the hallway.

“You seem to be feeling better,” Eriol said.

Yukito bit his lip, debating over just how crazy he would sound if he asked Eriol if he’d done something to him. Eriol saved him the agony, taking his chin gently in hand. He used his thumb to pull his lip from between his teeth. Yukito’s breath caught and he gave an involuntary shiver as Eriol gently stroked his cheek.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” Eriol murmured, continuing to caress him.

Yukito leaned closer, eyelids drooping. The warm familiarity swept through him again, making it impossible to focus on anything but Eriol. Some distant part of him noted the difference in height between them and how easily Eriol could press a kiss to his forehead.

“It’s all right,” Eriol continued, voice soothing. “I’ll fix it.”

“Yukito.”

Touya's voice snapped him abruptly out his dreamlike state, and Yukito jerked back from Eriol. As embarrassed as he was, he still wished Touya hadn’t interrupted...whatever that had been. Touya certainly hadn’t been effected, judging by the black look he directed at Eriol. Eriol stared calmly back at him, unperturbed. If anything, that just deepened Touya's scowl.

Eriol extended his hand. Touya didn’t take it. Rather than lower it once more, Eriol pressed his palm against the small of Yukito’s back. It was overly familiar, to say the least. Likely inappropriate for school too. Yukito was having a hard time caring.

Touya's eyes narrowed.

“I’m Eriol Hiiragizawa. And you are?”

Touya didn’t immediately answer, his eyes lingering on Yukito. Yukito felt his face warm under his gaze.

“Touya Kinomoto.”

Eriol’s brows swept up and the soothing sensation passing from him to Yukito abruptly stopped. The spell broken, Yukito’s face went a darker shade and he quickly stepped away. What in the world was the matter with him? First he was ogling Touya and now he was cozying up to a classmate he’d barely met? Maybe he’d had a stroke or something that night. That seemed like the most logical explanation for how bizarre his life had become ever since he’d woken from his nightmare.

“Kinomoto,” Eriol echoed, frowning. He gave Touya a thorough once over. “I see.”

“Is there a problem?” Touya demanded, glowering back at him.

“Yes, but not one you can solve, I’m afraid.”

The tension between the two was palpable enough to draw Yukito from his thoughts. He looked between the two of them, struck for a moment by how similar they were. Both were nearly the same height, and though Eriol’s hair and eyes were darker, there was something to his face that reminded him of Touya.

“I’m sorry. Did I miss something?” he hazarded. Was this his fault somehow? He couldn’t imagine how. He didn’t really know either of them.

“No, everything is fine,” Eriol answered, though judging by the set of his jaw, that was far from the case. “Why don’t you show me around, since we have a few minutes before our next class? It was a pleasure to meet you, Kinomoto.”

Touya didn’t return the sentiment. Dismissed, he shot Eriol one last glare before offering, “I’ll see you at lunch, Yukito.”

Yukito nodded. As Touya retreated, he returned his full attention to Eriol. “Did I do something wrong? I feel like I upset both of you.”

“It isn’t you,” Eriol insisted, turning and starting to the doors to the school grounds.

Yukito hurried to catch up with his unusually brisk pace. “Ah...don’t you want to see where the rest of our classes are?”

Eriol didn’t answer, walking directly toward the treeline beyond the school grounds. Yukito hesitated, standing awkwardly by the door. Eriol belatedly realized as much and he turned, frowning at him.

“ _ Come with me _ .”

Any misgivings Yukito had vanished abruptly and he hurried over to him. Eriol didn’t stop until they were out of sight of the school. Yukito gradually came back to himself, blinking and staring at the trees surrounding them.

“...how did we get here?”

Eriol didn’t answer. Instead he stepped forward, pressing his hand to Yukito’s forehead. “Reveal yourself,  _ Yue _ .”

Yukito froze in place, lips parting though no sound escaped him. Clow’s magic circle appeared beneath his feet and his body lifted from the ground of its own accord. Wings sprang from his back, enfolding him. When they parted, a stunned Yue stood in his place.

Eriol stood there in silence, as if he were waiting for something. 

Yue gradually came back to himself, his expression flattening into something more neutral. He regarded the boy warily, poised on the verge of fight or flight. “Who are you?” he demanded.

Eriol frowned, suddenly looking far older than seventeen, though nothing had actually changed about his appearance. “You don’t recognize my magic?”

“No. How did you do that? Who are you?”

His expression softened and he stepped forward, causing Yue to jerk back. His long white hair swayed with the motion.

“Yue…”

“How do you know who I am? How did you know about me?”

Eriol didn’t answer immediately, a thoughtful expression coming to his face as he considered him. “Do you remember someone by the name of Clow Reed?”

“No.”

His shoulders sagged. “I thought so… You have to understand, none of this was ever meant to happen. Clow wouldn’t have selected her if he hadn’t been certain she would be able to pass the Final Judgment.”

Yue bristled, one of his hands beginning to glow with a pale blue light. “You have yet to tell me who you or this Clow Reed are. My patience is wearing thin.”

“Do you plan on attacking me?” Eriol asked, staring calmly back at him.

Yue didn’t answer, but he didn’t lash out either.

“Do you remember Keroberos?”

Recognition flashed across his face. “Of course. How do you know all of this?”

“But you don’t remember Clow Reed?”

His eyes narrowed, the light in his palm growing stronger. “I’ve already answered your questions. You’ve yet to answer any of mine.”

“If you’ll calm down, I’ll explain everything.”

It was with great reluctance that Yue let the light fade from his hand. He didn’t so much as relax a muscle though, still poised to attack.

“A candidate was chosen by Keroberos. She failed the Final Judgment. That’s why you’ve forgotten, Yue. You’ve forgotten Clow Reed and her. Clow Reed created you and Keroberos, along with the Cards. You know what happens when a candidate fails. Even you aren’t immune to the aftermath.”

Yue’s eyes widened and he gradually lowered himself to the ground, hovering just high enough to be at eye level with the boy. “If the candidate failed, then she never should have been selected in the first place. Keroberos has never been a particularly good judge of character.”

“I can fix this. I...can’t bring back your memories, but I can ensure that you and Keroberos are properly taken care of. If you’ll trust me.”

Yue’s eyes flashed. “Are you in possession of the Cards?”

“No.”

“Then I will not submit to you.”

Eriol released a slow breath. He didn’t look particularly surprised by the answer. Rather, he just looked disappointed. “I thought you might say that. I could force you, but there would still be some part of you that rebelled.”

“I would like to see you try,” he snapped.

“You don’t want to see that. Very well. If I collect the Cards and pass the Final Judgment, will you willingly submit?”

“I am bound by my duty. If you prove to be a worthy candidate, I will submit.”

“I thought so. For now, it might be best if you didn’t remember this little encounter.”

Yue threw his hands up, trying to ward off the sudden wave of magic directed at him. Eriol passed effortlessly through his shield. There was a brief panicked look on Yue’s face before Eriol pressed his hand to his forehead. His eyes clouded over and the transformation took him again, leaving a disoriented Yukito lying at Eriol’s feet.

“Are you alright?” Eriol prompted, offering him his hand.

Yukito took it, blinking owlishly as he was pulled to his feet. “I...I don’t know what happened.”

“Maybe you should go see the nurse?”

He nodded slowly, pressing his hand to his forehead. He rubbed at it with his palm, as if trying to scrub away the lingering magic. 

“I’ll walk you there,” Eriol said, gently taking his elbow and starting back to the school.

Yukito went without a fuss.


	4. Touya

Touya was grateful he was the first one home that afternoon. With his father working late and Sakura at cheerleading practice, it gave him a rare moment of solitude. He was also grateful because he was in a foul mood and he doubted either of them were going to be able to improve it.

He didn’t believe for a second that things had gone down as Eriol claimed they did. Yukito just passing out? Please. The nurse couldn’t find any reason behind it either, settling on  low blood sugar. Even after he’d been released, Yukito had seemed out of it for the remainder of the day. Whatever that bastard Eriol had done, Touya was going to make him pay.

Touya started for his room, pausing when he felt a pulse of energy. He was used to getting flashes of it here and there, just as he was used to seeing ghosts. This one, though… He’d never felt anything like it before. In a way, it reminded him of Yukito.

The pulse came again, emanating from his father’s study. Touya set his bag down in the hall, walking to the door and opening it. He flicked on the light, staring cautiously around the cluttered room. As he stepped inside, the energy grew stronger. He ignored what he was seeing and focused on what he was feeling. As he walked further into the study, the sensation grew stronger. He eventually came to one of the bookshelves, staring at an otherwise unassuming red book.

Though deep down he was certain he would regret it, he reached out, taking the book in hand. His fingers tingled as they came into contact with it. He turned it so he could see the cover. Staring down at the image of the winged beast on the front, he frowned. “I’ve seen that before…”

Touya took a deep breath as he opened the book. Whatever he’d been expecting, it wasn’t a deck of cards. He cautiously took out the top one, studying the image on it. He opened his senses, trying to get a feel for what he was dealing with. As if the card had been waiting for that cue, it began to glow in his hand. “What the…”

He didn’t get to finish the sentence as Clow’s circle appeared beneath him. Before he had a chance to study it, heavy winds started swirling around him. Despite his best efforts to close the book, the cards inside shot out and flew toward the ceiling. Rather than being stopped by it, they passed through in small bursts of light. When the wind finally died down, he stood there with only the Windy Card and the empty book.

“Shit.”

That seemed to sum it all up. For a brief moment, he wondered what would have happened if Sakura had opened the book instead. He didn’t have time to consider that for long as the book began glowing again. Rather than take his chances, he quickly set it down on his father’s desk. Somehow he wasn’t surprised when something else came floating out of it.

“ _ Shit _ .”

The thing looked like someone had glued wings to a lion cub. It opened its eyes, staring silently back at Touya. It didn’t immediately speak. Despite only meeting it for the first time, Touya thought that was strange.

“Is there any chance you and all those cards are going to go back into the book without a fight?” he finally demanded, more shaken than he’d like to admit.

The thing took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. “I’m Keroberos, the Guardian of the Seal.”

“Of course you are. That doesn’t answer my question.”

Keroberos floated up so he was just inches from Touya's face. “You need to answer my question first!” he snapped. “Why did you have to open the book?! Now look at this mess we’re in!”

“We?”

It pointed a stubby arm at him. “Yes! We! Unless you think it’s a good idea for extremely powerful magical beings to run around causing mayhem! Last I checked, this was  _ your _ fault.”

Touya forced back the initial wave of anger he felt at the accusation. There was enough weirdness in his life at the moment. He didn’t need this on top of everything else. “I thought you said you were the Guardian of the Seal. Doesn’t that mean you should’ve been...guarding them or something?”

The bluster left Keroberos and he slumped where he floated. “...a guy’s gotta sleep.” He straightened, eyeing him suspiciously. “You’re taking all this pretty well.”

“I’m having a string of bad luck. I don’t know why this would be any different. Besides, you’re not the weirdest thing I’ve seen.”

Keroberos looked like he didn’t know whether or not he should be offended. He settled for resting his hands on his hips. “Well? Are you going to fix this or not?”

“I guess I don’t really have a choice.”

“That’s the spirit! First things first, we need to make this official.”

“Of course we do.”

Keroberos glowered at him. “You need to take this seriously!”

“I’m talking to a stuffed animal with wings. Kind of difficult to.”

He flew forward, jabbing Touya in the chest. “You say that now, but you haven’t seen me in my true form! You’d show me a lot more respect then!”

“If that’s what you want to believe,” he answered, picking the book back up and studying the cover. “If this thing was housing something that dangerous, you’d think there’d be a warning label on it or something. Y’know, in case the ‘Guardian of the Seal’ falls asleep on the job.”

“Why you little…”

Touya ignored him, flipping the book over to look at its back cover. Whatever else Keroberos planned to say died on his lips. At the extended silence, Touya glanced up. If it was possible for stuffed animals to look concerned, this one certainly did.

“I take it things are even worse than you thought?”

Keroberos drifted closer, as if he wasn’t certain what he was seeing. “Was there a moon on the back of this when you first picked it up?”

Touya shook his head. “No. Is that where the warning label should’ve been?”

The fact that Keroberos didn’t get upset with him this time made him realize just how serious the situation was. He set the book back down, suddenly wanting some distance from it.

“Keroberos?”

“You can call me Kero,” he said distractedly. “And it means that we’re already at a major disadvantage.”

“What else is new?”

“I’m serious!” 

He hovered in Touya's face again. It was harder than Touya would’ve liked to admit not to bat him away. He doubted it would put them on better terms.

“Okay. So how are we at a major disadvantage?”

“I don’t want to get into it now. There’s a lot more we need to take care of at the moment. Long story short, it means the Judge is already out there. He’s got an edge on us. It’ll make it that much harder to find him.”

“If he looks like you, I don’t think it’ll be that difficult. You’re kind of unique.”

Kero shook his head. “I’m just saying we’d be better off if we knew where he was. That way we could make sure he doesn’t interfere or something.”

“I’ll keep an eye out. I didn’t see anyone else leave the book though.”

“You probably just missed it, what with everything else going on.” The thought seemed to reassure Kero. “He probably doesn’t have that much of a head start on us.”

He clapped his hands together, expression growing more serious. “All right. So you’ve decided you’re going to help?”

“I probably should.”

Kero shot him a look. “Thanks for the overwhelming enthusiasm.”

Schooling his expression, Kero settled down on the desk beside the book. The circle from before appeared beneath Touya's feet and he stared down at it, only half listening as Kero launched into some sort of speech. He tuned back in only when prompted, grabbing what looked like a bizarre staff out of the air.

As quickly as it had all begun, it finished, leaving them once more in his father’s unassuming office.

“Now let’s get started,” Kero said, launching into an explanation of what it mean to be a Cardcaptor.

Touya sighed in relief when he finally heard the front door open and Sakura announce herself. Ignoring Kero’s protests, he tucked the book under his arm and started upstairs to meet her. He’d go back downstairs to collect Kero later. For now, he wanted to pretend his life was normal while he processed everything the stuffed animal had told him.


	5. Yukito

Yukito was relieved that the next few days passed without incident. After his weird fainting spell and...whatever he’d felt around Eriol, it was nice for things to go back to normal. Well, as normal as he could expect. If Touya had been his shadow before, he was more like a second skin now. It was nice though. If he wasn’t with Touya, he was with Eriol. For once he didn’t feel lonely.

“You mind if we go to your place to study?” Touya asked as they walked home from school. “The Monster is having some friends over tonight and I could use some peace and quiet.”

Yukito felt comfortable enough after two weeks of their acquaintanceship to admonish him. “Touya, you shouldn’t call Sakura that. You know it just upsets her.”

“That’s kinda the point,” he drawled, though his expression grew serious. “It’s a good thing though. She’s seemed kind of down lately. I’m glad she’s spending some time with her friends.”

He smiled. “I know. I’m glad too. It’s really sweet that you’re so concerned about her. I have to admit, I’m jealous. I’d love to have a sibling.”

“You say that now.. Just wait until you spend more time around her. You’ll be grateful you’re an only child.”

Yukito laughed despite himself. He sobered, however, when Touya came to an abrupt stop beside him. “Is everything alright?”

“Yuki…”

Yukito’s eyes widened at the nickname. That was a good sign, wasn’t it? Friends gave each other nicknames all the time. “Touya..?”

The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, Touya's body keeping him there. Though the impact hurt and he was slowly being crushed, he found himself far more concerned with the press of Touya's body against his. Before he could ask what was happening, Touya was back on his feet, dragging Yukito after him as he sprinted down the street.

Yukito struggled to keep up, his eyes on their clasped hands. Not that they stayed there for long, what with a fireball streaking past them and impacting with the ground. Sparks sprayed everywhere. He threw up his free arm to keep them from hitting him in the face. Thankfully they were harmless by the time they reached him and Touya.

“Wh-What was that?!”

“Stay behind me,” Touya snapped, nearly knocking Yukito off his feet again when he jerked him there.

Yukito didn’t know what to stare at when he realized what was happening in front of him. One moment Touya was standing there, and the next a glowing golden circle appeared underneath him while a dark blue staff with a star on the end appeared in his hand. Yukito couldn’t decide if that was more or less unusual than the winged woman in front of them who looked like she was made entirely of fire. Some distant part of him also noted she seemed to be severely underdressed.

“Damn it! Where’s that stuffed idiot when you need him?” Touya growled.

As if on cue, what looked like a flying stuffed animal flew toward them. Yukito’s jaw dropped.

“Hey! What are you doing getting a civilian involved in this?” Kero demanded.

It  _ talked _ ?

“Didn’t have much of a choice! Look, Yuki, I’ll...try to explain later.”

Yukito nodded dumbly.

Kero stopped beside them, frowning in the direction of the card. “This isn’t good, Touya. I was worried something like this would happen. Windy is no match for Firey.”

“Of course it’s not! Why would I assume otherwise at this point?”

The woman, Fiery?, smirked and another fireball materialized between her hands.

“Kero! Get Yuki out of here!”

“And just leave you here with her?! Are you out of your mind? You can’t take her on alone!”

“I have an idea! Now get him out of here!”

Yukito jumped as the stuffed lion flew toward him, grabbing the back of his jacket. With a surprising amount of strength for something so small, it began to drag him backward. He stumbled and struggled to maintain his balance as he was forced to quickly backpedal.

In front of him, Touya took something from his pocket. He threw it into the air and it remained suspended there while he struck it with his staff. Another woman materialized out of thin air.

“Windy! If you can do it, suck all the air from around her!” Touya shouted.

Windy paused only briefly before shooting forward. Fiery lobbed the fireball in her direction, but it fizzled out as Windy seemed to expand, encircling her in what looked like a translucent bubble. From within it, Fiery’s motions grew frantic and the flames coating her skin began to die down.

“Return to your true form, Clow Card!” Touya shouted, bringing the staff down against the center of the bubble. The bubble vanished while Fiery appeared to disperse into orange and yellow streaks of light, all converging at the tip of his staff and turning into a card similar to the one Touya had first brought out.

Touya plucked the card from the air, and it was only then that Yukito realized he and Kero were no longer moving. He glanced back at Kero, who was floating there, mouth agape. Touya turned back to them both, frowning.

“What?”

“How the hell did you…” Kero trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief. “Good thinking,” he said begrudgingly.

Touya shrugged. “It was worth a shot. It was either going to make the flames bigger or it was going to snuff them out. I figured if she could press the air into gusts, she might also be able to suck it away.” He grimaced, seeming to belatedly realize Yukito was still there. “Hey… Are you alright?”

Yukito nodded mechanically, at a loss for words. Touya strode up to him, the staff shrinking in his hand before vanishing entirely. Kero finally released the back of Yukito’s jacket.

“I’m really sorry about that. I promise you’re not just seeing things. I mean, if I thought I could explain it away by telling you that you were hallucinating, I would. But…”

“But..?”

“I have to admit, it’s a relief to know I’m not having hallucinations either, since you can see it all too.”

“Hallucinations?” Kero demanded. “You were the one who couldn’t stop bragging about all the supernatural stuff you can see! Why would you assume any of this wasn’t real?”

Touya shrugged. “Anything’s possible.” He dropped his hand onto Yukito’s shoulder. “I really am sorry. I hope I didn’t scare you.”

Yukito gave a small shake of his head. “That was… That was amazing!”

Judging by Touya's expression, that wasn’t the phrase he was expecting. “Amazing?”

He nodded enthusiastically. “You’re...You’re like a superhero or something, Touya!”

Touya's face reddened and he rubbed at the back of his neck. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

“I know you mentioned you could see spirits, but you didn’t tell me about any of this!”

“To be honest, all of this is still new to me.” Touya hesitated, expression growing more serious. “You’ve...never seen anything like this before?”

Yukito blinked. “No. I’m not like you, Touya. I don’t see things. Or...at least I didn’t until now.”

Touya looked almost disappointed at that. Yukito wanted to ask him what was wrong, but Kero cut him off.

“So what are we gonna do about this guy?” Kero demanded.

Yukito straightened at that, holding up his hands defensively. “I promise I won’t tell anyone what happened! I mean, I don’t really think anyone would believe me even if I did.”

Touya pursed his lips as he considered the two of them. “I don’t think it would hurt to tell him what’s going on. Maybe he’ll be able to help or something.”

“Only people with magical abilities can help with this sort of thing,” Kero protested. “And ideally, you’d just catch all the cards by yourself. I don’t know what you think this guy could do to help.”

He shot him a look. “Yuki’s a smart guy. I’m sure he’ll find some way to contribute if he can. Besides, he saw Fiery too. I don’t think an extra set of eyes would hurt at this point. I guess we’ll have to fill him in on everything though.”

Kero sighed, defeated. “If you think it’s the right idea, I’m not going to argue with you. It’s not like we can just erase his memories. At least not until you get the Erase Card.”

“Erase my memories?” Yukito echoed, eyes widening. “Like in that movie? The one with all the aliens?”

Touya stared blankly back at him before it clicked and he gave a short burst of laughter. As his face warmed, Yukito realized it was the first time he’d heard Touya laugh. It was a nice sound, even if it was at his expense.

“No. This isn’t Men in Black. At least not that I’m aware of. I honestly couldn’t say what is and isn’t real at this point. I’m just kind of rolling with the punches. Why don’t we head to your place and I’ll explain everything?”

Yukito nodded, immediately starting in that direction. He came up short though when Touya stopped him, fingers tightening around his arm. “Touya?”

Touya flipped his hand over, frowning hard down at his scraped palm. “Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?”

Yukito followed his gaze, blinking. “I guess I didn’t realize. I mean, what with everything going on.” Of course now that it had been brought to his attention, his palm throbbed painfully. “I’m okay though. Really. I prefer a few scrapes to being barbequed.”

“That’s not funny,” Touya admonished. “I’ll clean it up for you when we get back to your place.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

Touya shot him a look that told Yukito he was fighting a losing battle. He reluctantly nodded, face warming when Touya smiled at him in return. Thoughts spinning, Yukito was all too happy to lead Touya and Kero back to his home, eager to be filled in on whatever he’d wound up in the middle of.


	6. Eriol

“Is everything alright?”

Eriol glanced up from where his attention had been fixed on the tableau plastered across the hardwood floor. The instant he’d felt Touya unleash his power, he’d summoned up a way to watch. Kaho stood opposite him. He hadn’t even noticed her approach. Had he been that transfixed?

Looking at her, he was struck by how bizarre their situation had become. As the only one unaffected by the Final Judgment, he was well aware of the changes everyone else had undergone. Though he cared for Kaho and had sought her out again after her memories of him had been erased, he hadn’t yet decided whether or not he wanted to go down that road again.

It wasn’t that he didn’t care for her. There was a reason he’d fallen for her in the first place. His attention returned to the floor, tracking Yukito as he chattered away at Touya. He wasn’t Clow, even though he held his memories. And yet…

Yue.

Clow hadn’t anticipated Sakura would fail the Final Judgment. He’d done everything in his power to give her the best chance of success. In the end, at her age she just wasn’t powerful enough to defeat Yue. The possibility had always been there, but whenever he’d looked into the future, Clow had seen her succeed. Unfortunately, free will and split second decisions weren’t something you could foresee.

Eriol  _ wasn’t _ Clow. Yue forgetting Clow shouldn’t affect him the way it did. He wasn’t the one who’d been in love with Yue. He hadn’t even met Yue until their encounter outside of the school.

Since his reincarnation, Eriol’s sole goal had been to divest himself of the magic that had been both a gift and a curse to his predecessor. Sakura was supposed to have passed the Final Judgment. She was supposed to have remade the cards in her own image. Regardless of the circumstances, Eriol knew he should be devising an alternative plan to reach his goal. Instead, he found himself focused on setting things right with Yue.

“Eriol?”

He blinked, looking back up at Kaho. While she’d only been with him a few weeks now, having accepted the half truth that he could help with her magics, she seemed to have quickly reassessed him to the point she was able to read him unless he was very careful. It was unnerving, to say the least.

She wasn’t the only one falling into old patterns though. Yukito had reignited his friendship with Touya. Sakura was once more speaking with Tomoyo. They weren’t the only ones either. Only time could tell whether or not everyone’s relationships could be entirely rebuilt. He didn’t think it was magic, but Eriol was convinced there was something about certain people that drew them together regardless of their circumstances. 

Eriol weighed his options, considering the pros and cons of letting her in on his dilemma. Touya and Yukito vanished as he ended the spell, leaving the hardwood floor in their wake. He stood, walking past her. She watched him a moment, likely reading his mood, before she followed.

“I have a problem.”

“Oh?”

He stopped at one of the windows that looked out on the house’s extensive grounds. Night had fallen, but he could still see Yue, Kero, and Clow there as plain as day. It had taken time to sort through Clow’s memories. Eriol had separated the more personal details and buried them deep, accessing them only when necessary. How could he live his own life if he was constantly shadowed by Clow’s experiences and the emotions that accompanied them? The fact the memories were rising again, unbidden, didn’t bode well for him.

What if he was just as capable of falling into old habits as those impacted by the Final Judgment?

“I told you about Yue, didn’t I?” he asked, voice soft.

“You did. You explained Clow’s relationship with him as well. And that he lives within that boy.”

“Kaho,” he said, turning to her.

She met his gaze, mouth pressed into a thin line and attention rapt. Even now at her most serious, she had an air of approachability. At his most serious, Yue had a tendency to make people steer clear of him. Eriol shook his head, as if that could dislodge the thought.

“Do you think people are destined to be together?”

Kaho considered the question. “You mean in terms of soulmates?”

Eriol frowned, repulsed by the word. “No. Nothing so sappy.”

“Then what do you mean?”

His attention returned to the house’s grounds as he tried to gather his thoughts. “I just wonder… If I have all of Clow’s memories, am I destined to rekindle his relationships?”

“Ah. So more of a ‘you’ problem.”

“A ‘you’ problem?”

She smiled back at him. “Yes. In the event you forgot, most of us aren’t reincarnations of former sorcerers.”

“I suppose that’s one way to put it,” he offered begrudgingly.

“I can only assume his relationship with Yue is what’s worrying you.”

“I’m not worried.”

Her smile was more indulgent this time, only irking him further. “Do you think you’re falling for him?”

“I’d like to think I have more self-control and awareness than that.”

“But?”

Eriol stood there in silence, warring with himself. Saying it aloud seemed dangerous, like by saying it, he might make it true.

Once again, Kaho waited him out.

“He doesn’t remember Clow.”

She rested a hand gently on his shoulder. “You aren’t Clow.”

“I know that.”

“But you have all the memories about how close he was with Clow.”

He closed his eyes, willing said memories to remain buried. “They had a unique relationship.”

“Are you upset because his forgetting bothered you? Or are you upset because the memories are making you want to be with him?”

“I’m not upset.”

She gave his shoulder a light squeeze. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.”

“Eriol, the sooner you come to a decision, the better off you’ll be. Agonizing over it isn’t going to solve anything. And even if you were to rekindle that relationship, he wouldn’t remember Clow and you aren’t Clow.”

He opened his eyes again. “I told him I would collect the Cards.”

“You don’t have to do that though. Not since Touya is collecting them. I think he has more than enough power to succeed. That should put your mind at ease.”

He didn’t answer, frowning now.

“There’s something else, isn’t there?”

“I’ve looked ahead. I wanted to see what would happen.”

Her expression softened. “And?”

“Every time I have, the outcome has been the same. Touya fails to pass the Final Judgment. I don’t know if the Cards can survive that a second time, at least not so soon. I don’t know if Yue or Keroberos could either. There’s only so much magic left after Sakura’s failure.”

“But Clow was wrong about Sakura succeeding, wasn’t he? Even though he’d seen it?”

He crossed his arms, frown deepening. “Foresight isn’t infallible. There can be last minute changes that alter everything.”

“So it’s not just a matter of whether or not you have feelings for Yue. You’re also concerned about him, Keroberos, and the Cards.”

They stood there in silence. Some distant part of Eriol noted that he appreciated that about Kaho. That she didn’t feel the need to fill silences with chatter and that she knew when to let him think.

Kaho gave his shoulder another squeeze. “So you’ve decided?”

He glanced up in surprise. “How did you know?”

“I just had a feeling.”


	7. Touya

To say things had been weird ever since Touya opened the book was an understatement. Perhaps the most annoying part about it all was having to quit the majority of his part time jobs. Kero had given him a lengthy lecture about how the fate of the world was more important than his wanting to save up for college.

There was one big perk though. Now that Yukito was involved, the ridiculousness of it all was somehow more bearable. Touya didn’t know if it was Yukito’s naturally optimistic disposition or the fact that there was someone other than a sentient plushie that he could talk to now. Probably a bit of both. While it had always annoyed him to have to fend off girls impressed with his athletic skills, Yukito’s admiration of his newfound powers was somehow palatable.

They’d spent a lot more time together after the incident with Fiery. It had taken some getting used to on Touya's end, having typically stuck to himself. They were together so often that his father had started referring to Yukito as his second son. Yukito found it amusing. Touya didn’t.

While Touya wanted to spend less time at his house with Yukito to escape the teasing, any time he visited Yukito’s place, he was struck by how...empty it seemed. Not of furniture or anything like that, but just of other presences in general. He assumed it was because Yukito’s grandparents were never in town, something that infuriated Touya. All someone had to see was how happy Yukito was to be considered one of the Kinomotos to realize how much their absence affected him. He tried to hide it, but Touya knew.

Touya knew a lot about Yukito. He paid attention to him like he’d never paid attention to anyone else in his life, except for Sakura. He knew all of Yukito’s likes and dislikes. He knew that he wasn’t as much of a morning person as he claimed. He also knew what he had to do to keep Yukito’s smile genuine. Why it all mattered so much was beyond him. Sure, they had basically made it into best friend territory, but Touya had never felt so close to anyone before.

Not even Kaho.

After Yukito came into his life, Touya found himself thinking of her less and less often.

 

**\---**

 

“What did you get for number twelve?”

When Yukito didn’t answer, Touya glanced up, frowning at him. His lips twitched when he realized Yukito had literally fallen asleep sitting up.

He’d invited Yukito over to study for their upcoming English test. Though Yukito claimed he’d only ever learned it in school like Touya, even their teacher was impressed by how quickly he picked the language up. He also spoke it with no accent whatsoever. Luckily Touya had claimed him before anyone else could make him their study partner.

Touya looked at his alarm clock, brows lifting when he realized it was already after midnight. Yukito had been up early, helping the archery team. No wonder he was so tired. Though he’d seen him sleepy in the past, he’d never seen him asleep. Touya was surprised how much more relaxed he looked, especially since he’d thought Yukito was the most relaxed person he knew.

“Whatcha lookin’ at?” Kero prompted from where he floated just beside Touya's head.

Kero had decided sneaking up on him was his new personal challenge. He rarely managed to due to Touya’s near constant awareness of his surroundings. The frequency of his attempts was the only thing that kept Touya from shouting or lashing out in surprise this time. He still jumped despite himself, inadvertently jostling Yukito where he sat beside him on the bed. Had he been that caught up in his own thoughts? Yukito made a soft sound and Touya froze. He didn’t relax again until Yukito’s breathing evened back out.

“You sure spend a lot of time with him,” Kero offered, looking smug.

“He’s my best friend.”

“Uh huh. Are you two gonna have a sleepover?”

Touya frowned, silently considering his options. He could let Yukito sleep, he could wake him up and properly invite him to stay over, or he could wake him up and take him back home. With his father out of town for the weekend, Touya couldn’t very well ask him to give Yukito a ride, though he could just as easily offer Yukito one on his motorcycle. If he wanted to ignore the fact he only had one helmet.

He sighed.

Kero drifted in front of his face, waving a paw. “Earth to Touya. Anybody home? Or did your brain turn into goo over your crush?”

“My _what_?”

Kero stared back at him, as if waiting for him to launch into a punchline or something. When Touya didn’t say anything else, Kero frowned. “Is he not your crush then?”

“I don’t know where you got that idea in the first place. For one, I’ve literally only known the guy for a month. For another, he’s my best friend.”

“I thought people in relationships were best friends.”

Touya looked heavenward. “It’s not like that, okay? We’re just friends.”

“You seem to look after him a lot.”

Touya set his jaw, that familiar resentment threatening to overwhelm him again. “Yeah, because no one else seems inclined to.”

“I’m just saying, you treat him almost more like a kid than you treat Sakura.”

“I don’t know where you get that idea from.”

Kero rolled his eyes. “You walk him home if it gets late. You’re always asking if he’s eaten enough. You also use your powers to check in on him.”

“ _What_?”

“You didn’t notice? How else do you think you always seem to know where he is or how he’s feeling? Then again, I guess it’s just instinct for you by now. So far as I can tell, the only other person you do that for is Sakura. Or am I wrong?”

Touya didn’t answer, instead scowling back at him.

“I’m just sayin’,” Kero offered in a singsong voice.

“Shut up.”

“Touya?” Yukito mumbled.

He sat up straighter, looking over to Yukito. The other boy had pushed up his glasses and was rubbing at one of his eyes.

“Oh… Did I fall asleep?”

“It’s okay. You’ve had a long day. I should’ve realized and stopped earlier.”

Yukito gave him a wide smile. “It’s all right. I didn’t realize it was so late either. I should  get going.” He shifted, moving to climb out of the bed.

“Wait!”

Yukito froze at the force behind the word, eyes widening. “What is it?”

Touya caught Kero smirking out of the corner of his eye and his face warmed. “Look. It’s late. Why don’t you just stay here tonight?”

“Stay...here?”

“Yeah. I mean, why not? Sakura has friends over all the time for sleepovers.”

If he’d thought Yukito’s smile had been big before, he was experiencing the thousand watt version now.

“Are we having a sleepover, Touya?”

His face inexplicably warmed again. “...sure. Uh… I think we have a spare toothbrush somewhere, and you can borrow some of my pajamas since we’re almost the same size.”

“Thank you, Touya!”

“Yeah, whatever. You want to take a shower or anything?”

“If you don’t mind?”

Touya shook his head, getting up and grabbing the necessities for him before directing him to the bathroom. Once he heard the water cut on, he dropped back onto his bed, scowling up at the ceiling. Kero’s face popped into view once more.

“Where’s he gonna sleep?” Kero prompted innocently.

Touya glared up at him.

“I’m just sayin’,” he sing songed.

Touya managed to school his expression by the time Yukito returned, smelling distinctly of his soap. His hair was still damp, and the pajamas were just a little too big for him.

“Touya?”

He blinked. “Huh?”

“Is something wrong? You were looking at me kind of funny.”

“Nothing’s wrong. Just...go to sleep.”

Yukito nodded, turning to head back out. “Thanks, Touya!”

“Wait, where are you going?”

He paused, glancing back. “The living room?”

There was a long stretch of silence between them before Touya hazarded, “If you don’t mind sharing, you’d probably be more comfortable in here.”

“Your dad’s got a perfectly good bed in his room,” Kero hissed, just loudly enough for Touya to hear.

Touya batted him away, earning a brief bout of indignation for his trouble.

“Are you sure?” Yukito prompted, drifting closer.

“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t.”

He could practically hear the wheels turning in Yukito’s head as he considered that. Finally, Yukito shot him that wide grin again and made his way back over to the bed. “Where do you want me?”

That sent Kero into peals of laughter so strong he had to sit down. Yukito stared blankly at him. Touya ignored them both, pointing to the bed and retreating to the bathroom.

By the time he returned, Kero seemed to have regained some control over himself, though the bastard still gave a small chuckle. Yukito was already settled on one side of the bed, looking as though he were trying to take up as little space as possible. Even so, it was going to be a tight fit. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

“Are you sure about this, Touya? I really don’t mind sleeping on the sofa.”

Touya ignored him, climbing into the bed. There was a brief moment where elbows and knees were in all the wrong places before they found a comfortable compromise back to back and on their sides.

“You all right?” Touya hazarded.

“I am. Thank you, Touya. This is…” He trailed off.

“This is?”

“This is the first time I’ve had a sleepover.”

Touya blinked, turning his head toward him only to wind up with a faceful of Yukito’s hair. He sighed, turning back around. “Ever?”

“I don’t know whether or not you’ve noticed, but I’ve never been very good at making friends.”

“Well, you’ve got me now.”

“I know,” he answered. Touya couldn’t see his face, but he didn’t have to in order to know Yukito was smiling again.


	8. Yukito

The more time Yukito spent with Touya, the less he remembered his nightmare and the odd emptiness he’d felt after it. He never could have imagined his life could change so much in a matter of weeks, and yet here he was.

Now that spring was transitioning into summer, he didn’t have as much time to see Touya, what with their school assignments piling up as they drew closer to the end of first term. They still studied and worked on classwork together when they could. Yukito tried not to think too much about how they would be graduating in less than a year. While he’d given some serious thought to what he would do after graduation, the more he thought about it, the more concerned he became about what Touya’s plans were.

Since their incident with Fiery, Touya had managed to capture Jump, Flower, and Wood. Touya claimed that none of the captures had been all that exciting, but Yukito still lamented the fact that their busy schedules meant he hadn’t been there with him. Touya kept him up to date on how things were progressing, but witnessing the magic first hand was so much better. While Yukito had been on the slightly superstitious side, he’d never considered magic to be a possibility. He was so happy he was wrong.

Today was one such day where he and Touya were separated. Though it was the weekend, Touya was picking up a few extra hours at one of his remaining part time jobs. How he managed to go to school, be a Cardcaptor, and still have the time and energy to work was beyond Yukito.

While he had plans to surprise Touya by stopping by while he was working at the ice cream shop, Yukito was far more concerned with the fact that Kero had told him when Touya’s birthday was. They hadn’t really even known each other back then, and now that it was June it was a little late for a celebration. Even a belated celebration. That wasn’t going to stop him from finding a gift for Touya regardless of how late it was, especially with everything Touya had done for him.

Yukito was staring through the window of a cake shop when he noted a familiar reflection out of the corner of his eye. He turned, blinking as Eriol approached him. He and Eriol had spent some time together since Eriol had transferred to their school, but not nearly as much as Yukito would have liked. Of course it didn’t help that Touya didn’t like Eriol, so it wasn’t like the three of them could spend time together. Whenever Yukito had asked why, he’d offered some cryptic explanation of how the guy set off his sixth sense, and not in a good way.

“Hey!” Yukito offered, beaming and smiling as he approached.

Eriol smiled back at him in a way that left Yukito momentarily breathless. That smile was the one thing Eriol and Touya seemed to share. Maybe it was for the best the three of them were never out together…

“Hello, Yukito. What brings you out today?”

“Oh...ah. I was looking for a gift for someone. What about you?”

Eriol gave him a funny sort of look that Yukito couldn’t begin to interpret. “The same, actually. Maybe we can find what we’re looking for together?”

“Definitely! Who are you shopping for?”

“Someone very special to me. You?”

Yukito’s face warmed. He liked to think it was because the day was warmer than usual. “Ah... the same, actually.”

Eriol looked almost disappointed. Yukito couldn’t imagine why. As quickly as the expression came to his face, he replaced it with a small smile. 

“Were you thinking about getting cake?”

Yukito paused, gaze drifting back to the cake shop’s window. “I was going to get some ice cream later, but…”

“But?”

“Would you like to get some cake with me, Eriol?”

“There’s nothing I would enjoy more,” he said, opening the door and holding it for Yukito. 

Yukito thanked him, his attention immediately zeroing in on where individual slices of cake were displayed. He walked over, standing just far back enough to indicate he was still considering what he wanted and wasn’t ready to order. Eriol stopped beside him.

“You have quite the sweet tooth, don’t you?” Eriol asked.

That startled a laugh out of Yukito. “You could say that. Touya says I eat way more sweets than could possibly be healthy.”

Something shifted in Eriol’s expression at Touya’s name, but before Yukito could identify it, it was gone again. “There’s nothing wrong with having a healthy appetite. I think you’ll be all right. Besides, they seem to make you happy. Anything that puts a smile on your face is worth it, in my opinion.”

The comment caught him off guard and Yukito paused, blinking back at him. “Um… Thank you, Eriol.”

Eriol offered the same slow smile from before. It didn’t take his breath away this time, but Yukito was fairly certain his heart rate had picked up, judging by how his heart seemed to want to burst out of his chest all of a sudden.

“What would you like? It’s my treat.”

“Ah. Well…” He returned his attention to the cakes, grateful for the distraction. Though his eyes kept drifting toward the vanilla cake with vanilla icing, he forced himself to look elsewhere. “Are you sure?”

“Of course. Why don’t you tell me what you want and then go find a table for us?”

Yukito nodded, weighing his options before offering, “The strawberry one, I think.”

Eriol nodded, moving to the counter. Yukito found himself watching him before he shook himself out of whatever trance he’d been in, face warm as he located a table for two. When Eriol returned, he held three slices of cake instead of two. He set the plate with two slices in front of Yukito. One was strawberry, the other was vanilla with vanilla icing.

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that!”

“I could tell you wanted it. Why didn’t you just say so?”

He glanced to the side, sighing softly. “Touya thinks it’s silly. He said I couldn’t find a more bland piece of cake if I tried.”

“I don’t think it’s silly at all. You shouldn’t let someone else’s opinion keep you from what you really want, Yukito. What else has Touya told you?”

He met Eriol’s eyes, frowning faintly. “I don’t mean this in a rude way, but I’d rather not talk about Touya, if that’s all right. Not like that, anyway.”

“I understand. You want to be loyal to your friend. You two do spend an awful lot of time together. From what I understand, Touya used to have a much more varied social life.” He offered a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’ve heard some of the girls in our year cursing your name.”

He sat up a little straighter. “Cursing my name? What? Why?”

“Because you stole their precious Touya away from them.”

Yukito firmly shook his head. “I didn’t steal anyone. We just...spend a lot of time together, that’s all. I’m sure Touya makes time to see his other friends too.”

“That’s not what I’ve heard.” 

Eriol reached across the table, gently resting his hand on Yukito’s. Yukito stared at their hands as if he couldn’t quite figure out what he was seeing.

“Yukito, can I say something to you as a friend?”

“O-Of course.”

“I think Touya might be happier if you weren’t monopolizing his time.”

Yukito’s eyes widened, guilt making his stomach lurch. Suddenly the cake wasn’t nearly as appealing.

“But wouldn’t Touya have told me so if that was the case?”

Eriol gave him a sympathetic look while gently squeezing his hand. “While Touya and I might have our differences, I know he’s a good person. I think it would be hard for him to just come out and say something like that to you.”

He couldn’t begin to explain why, but his eyes began to burn. Yukito sniffed softly, trying to get himself back under control. 

Eriol turned his hand over, lacing their fingers together. “I have my own reasons for telling you too. Perhaps while you give Touya some time to enjoy his other friends, you and I could spend more time together?”

“You...want to spend time with me?”

“I like you very much, Yukito.”

He didn’t know what to say to that. Despite his surprise, he didn’t pull his hand from Eriol’s, instead taking comfort in its warm weight.

Eriol tilted his head, giving him a smile that gave Yukito an odd sense of déjà vu. “I hope that, in time, you’ll feel the same way.”

Yukito managed a small nod. “I’m sure I will.”

He slumped with relief in his seat when the conversation died down in favor of enjoying their cake. Admittedly, he wasn’t enjoying his nearly as much in the wake of Eriol’s revelation about Touya. Maybe he shouldn’t go visit him at work after all…

Once they finished up, Eriol took their plates back to the counter, handing them over to the woman working there. Yukito waited patiently for him, following him out once he was through.

“Where would you like to go?” Eriol asked as they started down the sidewalk.

Yukito absently chewed his lower lip as he considered the many storefronts. He started when Eriol gently pulled him to a stop.

“I wish you wouldn’t do that.”

Yukito’s brows furrowed. “Do what?”

“Chew your lip. You could hurt yourself. I doubt it can be good for you regardless.”

He absently rubbed the back of his neck, gaze dropping to the pavement. “I’m sorry. It’s just a nervous habit.”

“Am I making you nervous?”

Yukito’s head shot back up and he quickly shook it. “No. I just...don’t know what I’m going to buy and I’m worried that I’m going to get the wrong thing.”

“I’m sure that whoever you give your gift to will enjoy it simply because it comes from you.”

Some of the tension left him and Yukito managed a small smile. “Thanks, Eriol.”

They started back down the sidewalk. Eriol was the first to stop, standing outside of a jewelry store. Yukito stared inside, immediately aware that the pieces were far outside his budget.

“Do you mind if we go in?” Eriol asked.

Yukito shook his head, trailing inside after him. While he felt distinctly out of place, Eriol seemed utterly in his element. Within a matter of minutes, he had charmed the woman behind the counter. Yukito gradually made his way around the shop, studying the beautiful array of gems and metals. He only returned to the counter when Eriol called him over.

Eriol held up a silver ring. Yukito blinked, studying the pattern of pale blue gems across the band in the shape of a crescent moon. Though they all remained light in color, there was a clear gradation with the darkest gem at the base. Or the top, he supposed, depending on what way you wore it.

“What do you think?” Eriol asked.

He studied it before giving him a wide smile. “I think it’s beautiful.”

Eriol smiled back, taking his right hand. Yukito’s brows lifted to his hairline as Eriol slid it onto his ring finger. It was a perfect fit.

“Eriol...what..?”

“It’s for you.”

“F-For me? I don’t understand. This must be very expensive… I can’t accept something like this.”

“You’ll only upset me if you don’t.”

That shut him up. After a moment, he hazarded, “But...why?”

“You’ve been very kind to me since I arrived. And as I said before, I like you very much.”

Heat flooded Yukito’s face as he struggled to come up with a reply.

“Will you keep it?”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

Eriol must have paid before Yukito had arrived since he simply gave the woman behind the counter a nod before leading him back to the door. Yukito couldn’t stop staring at the ring. Try as he might, he just couldn’t wrap his head around what had just happened.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. Gradually he began to relax around Eriol once more, and by the time he had Touya’s gift in hand, Yukito had almost entirely forgotten how upset he’d been earlier. Of course now he had to get something for Eriol too, but he couldn’t very well do that with him there.

Reaching his house, Yukito came to a stop. Eriol stared back at him, a fondness in his expression that left Yukito feeling a bit overwhelmed, but also...special. Not that Touya had never made him feel special, but with Eriol it was different. While he and Touya were best friends, Yukito felt Eriol was after something else entirely.

Eriol reached forward, taking his hand in his once more. Yukito watched, stunned, as he lifted it to his mouth, pressing his lips to the back of it. The soft brush did funny things to his insides, leaving him feeling a bit too warm.

“It was a pleasure getting to spend the day with you, Yukito. I hope we can do this again soon.”

He nodded quickly. “I would too. Thank you. For the ring and for spending time with me. And...well, for telling me about Touya.”

“I’m sorry I was the one who had to break the news to you. I know it must be very upsetting. I’m glad I was able to lift your spirits again.”

Only then did he release Yukito’s hand. He nodded once and started back down the street. Yukito stood there staring after him for longer than he would’ve liked to admit.


	9. Touya

Something had changed. Touya couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it felt like Yukito was almost avoiding him. Granted, it had only been two days, but after being around the other boy nearly 24/7, it was odd. Kero had told Touya Yukito probably just needed some space and that he was being ridiculous. Touya tried to believe him.

By the time Monday rolled around and he was on his way back to school, the bad mood that had been plaguing him had dissipated. He tried not to think too closely as to why that might be. Reaching the spot he usually met Yukito, he slowed his bike to a complete stop. He still had plenty of time to get to school, and so he sat there for a few minutes, frowning in the direction of Yukito’s house. His shoulders slumped with relief when he finally saw Yukito approaching.

“Hey! You’re late!”

Yukito blinked back at him. “Oh! Sorry, Touya. Have you been waiting long?”

“Not too long. How was your weekend?”

Yukito reached up to brush his bangs back from his eyes and Touya caught a glint of sunlight on metal. He reached forward, gently catching Yukito’s wrist. He stared down at the ring on his finger, uncertain why it bothered him that he was wearing one all of a sudden. It was probably Kero’s fault for putting all kinds of ridiculous ideas in his head.

“This is new.”

Yukito’s face flushed and he didn’t immediately answer. He didn’t pull away either.

“...are you okay?”

Yukito hesitated before offering softly, “Eriol gave it to me.”

“He  _ what _ ?”

“...I was worried this was how you were going to react.”

“He’s only been here for a few weeks now,” Touya protested. “And it looks real. Hell, Yuki, it almost looks like a…” He trailed off.

Touya tried to focus on how Yukito perked up at the nickname. He made a note to use it more often, seeing as it was still well received. Somehow he managed to devote the brainpower to the thought despite how badly he wanted to track Eriol down.

“It looks like a..?”

“Nevermind what it looks like. It’s just...don’t you think it’s a little weird?”

He shrugged, lips pursing. “I mean, I think his family comes from money. He said he liked me and he wanted to spend more time together, but I don’t think it’s as big of a gesture as it would be coming from someone else.”

Touya wasn’t convinced. “He said he  _ liked _ you?”

Yukito’s sunny disposition immediately clouded over, his open expression shutting down faster than Touya would’ve thought possible. “...is that so hard to believe?”

Touya knew he wasn’t exactly the most eloquent person out there. He tended to be more direct than most people. He also wasn’t the most emotional person. Right now he wished he had spent more time learning to be both.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?”

His tone sent a chill up Touya’s spine. Apparently Yukito had a darker side. It might have been funny under literally  _ any _ other circumstances.

“I just meant…”  _ Shit _ . “I meant...it sounds almost like he’s asking you out.” He tried to add a note of incredulity, but it was hard to in the face of what looked like a veritable engagement ring. 

Yukito’s attention dropped to the ring. Touya wished his bangs didn’t cover so much of his face. He could’ve used a hint as to what he was feeling at the moment. He could have tapped into his powers to check, but he’d been trying to avoid using them on Yukito ever since Kero brought up the fact he had been unintentionally creeping on his best friend.

“Yuki?” he hazarded as the silence dragged on.

“Is there something wrong with him asking me out?” he answered, head still tilted down. There was something in his tone that Touya couldn’t interpret. Like he was asking something else entirely.

“No. Of course not. I mean, anybody would be lucky to have you. It’s just…”

“Just?”

“I don’t trust him. I feel like he’s hiding something. I don’t want him to take advantage of you or to hurt you.”

Yukito lifted his head. His eyes were a touch wider than normal, which Touya hadn’t thought possible with how big they already were. 

“You’re worried about me?”

Dammit. Why couldn’t he have just said that in the first place? Was there some kind of sensitivity class he could sign up for?

“Yes.”

Yukito beamed up at him. Seeing his smile had returned, Touya breathed a sigh of relief. Yuki should always be smiling. Things just weren’t right when he wasn’t.

“Oh! I almost forgot,” Yukito said, pulling his bag around and rifling through it. He took out a neatly wrapped package, holding it out to Touya.

Touya stared blankly down at it. “What’s this for?”

“Your birthday! Well, I mean, I know it’s really late, but I wanted to get you something.” Yukito said, nearly stumbling over the words with how quickly he got them out.

He took the package from him, studying it a moment before he gently pulled one of the taped edges free. He unwrapped it and pulled the lid off the little box inside. Touya took out the small yellow brocaded silk bag resting in the box, his fingers pressing lightly against the talisman inside. There was another bag underneath it, this one was white.

"Amulets?"

Yukito nodded, smiling faintly. "I went by one of the shrines to pick them up. The yellow one is for prosperity and the white one is for luck."

"Why those two?"

"I figured because you've had to give up so many of your part time jobs that prosperity couldn't hurt. I picked luck because you're a Cardcaptor now. I thought maybe it could make catching the Cards a little easier for you."

Touya grinned as he slipped the yellow one into his wallet. Meanwhile, he pulled out his shrunken Cardcaptor staff. Thankfully it wasn’t too hard to attach the amulet to it, though it looked a bit silly since the bag was so much bigger than the staff at present.

“Thanks, Yuki.”

Touya felt like he would need all the help he could get with the recent twists and turns in his life.

 

**\---**

 

With another study session planned for that evening, Touya and Yukito headed toward the Kinomoto residence after school. They were nearly halfway there when Touya swore he caught a glimpse of Kaho. He gradually slowed, the entirety of his attention on the treeline by Penguin Park. Yukito got a few feet ahead of him before he slowed to a stop as well.

“Touya? Are you okay?”

He didn’t answer, backtracking until he reached a better vantage point. Sure enough, Kaho was seated there against one of the trees. Yukito returned to his side, staring in the same direction.

“Touya?” he repeated.

“I didn’t realize she was back in town.”

Yukito blinked, leaning closer to better see. “Huh?”

Touya wheeled his bike toward Kaho. Yukito trailed just a few feet behind. Reaching the tree, Touya managed a weak smile.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were back?” He tried not to make it sound accusatory, but didn’t quite manage.

Yukito’s brows furrowed and he shot Touya a worried look. 

Kaho smiled up at Touya, moving to her feet. It hadn’t been that long since he’d seen her last. She’d been back in town, teaching Sakura’s class. Things had been...awkward between them then. The first time she’d left him, Kaho had told Touya they would both have found someone else to love when she returned. He hadn’t. He’d never confirmed whether or not she had. Seeing her again, he was painfully aware of how suddenly everything had ended between them. 

“Are you talking to one of the spirits you see?” Yukito asked softly.

Touya blinked, looking back at him. “What? No. This is Kaho. She was one of Sakura’s teachers for a little while.” That was far less painful than saying she’d dumped him.

Yukito looked even more concerned now. “Touya, there’s no one there.”

“What are you talking about? She’s standing right in front of us.”

He shook his head. “No, she isn’t.”

“Are you sure  _ you’re _ okay, Yuki? I mean, I know you wear glasses and all, but I didn’t think your vision was that bad.”

While the hurt look on his face stung, Touya wasn’t exactly about to apologize. If anything, he was just growing concerned. What the hell was wrong with Yuki that he didn’t see her?

He paused, looking up as Kaho drew closer. She moved to hug him and he blinked, going to return her embrace. His eyes slid closed as he wrapped his arms around her. It had been years since they’d touched like this, and yet it still felt so familiar.

“Kaho,” he murmured.

She smelled like roses. She always smelled like roses. While time had changed some things, it hadn’t changed her perfume.

“Does this mean..?”

She didn’t answer, instead stepping back and taking his hand. Touya smiled, any confusion he’d experienced before as far as Yukito was concerned quickly dispersing. How could he have feelings for Yukito if he was still in love with Kaho?

Kaho started back in the direction of the road. Touya set his bike down, moving with her. He jerked to a halt when Yukito grabbed his arm.

“What the hell is your problem?” he demanded, turning back to face him.

Despite the admonition in his voice, Yukito didn’t release him.

“Touya, I don’t know what’s going on, but I swear there’s no one there. Is it possible it could be a Clow Card?”

And just like that, Kaho faded in front of him. While her silhouette remained, her form had changed to a shifting, kaleidoscope-like pattern. Touya jerked back, eyes going wide. Immediately he went for his staff, murmuring the incantation that made it grow in size. Before “Kaho” could react, he swung it toward her.

“Return to your true form, Clow Card!”

Just like with the others, she dispersed into what looked like beams of light before forming into the familiar shape of the Clow Cards. The card glowed briefly before displaying the kaleidoscope-like pattern, the words “The Illusion” appearing at the bottom of it.

He and Yukito stood there in silence, Touya still trying to wrap his head around what had happened. He was usually better at this. He could tell what was real and what wasn’t. He could sense magic. Hell, if it was a Clow Card, he should’ve been able to sense it in general. Shaken, he looked back at Yukito.

“Yuki… I’m really sorry. I just...she seemed so real.”

He nodded in return, expression oddly neutral. “I understand. Do you still want to study?”

Touya ran a hand through his hair, releasing a slow breath. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to take a rain check.”

Yukito’s face became unreadable as he nodded. “Let me know if you need anything, okay?”

Touya nodded back to him. “Yeah, thanks, man.”

They both gathered their bikes and started in opposite directions. 

He couldn’t help but feel unsettled by it all. It was a relief to get some time to himself to mull over everything. Mingled with the embarrassment was longing. He missed Kaho. He missed being with Kaho. Things had been good between them before they’d ended so abruptly.

Still, Touya thought he’d resigned himself to their relationship being over. Judging by how quickly he’d leapt back into her arms, maybe he wasn’t as removed from their prior relationship as he’d thought. 

If it had been the real Kaho, what would have happened? Would they have started dating again? Apparently he had no hesitations in that regard. Then again, he hadn’t been the one to break things off in the first place. 

That hadn’t been the real Kaho though. The real Kaho didn’t want anything to do with him anymore.

By the time Touya reached his house, he felt a little calmer. He parked his bike and headed upstairs to his room, rolling his eyes when he found Kero playing video games yet again.

“Do you ever do anything useful?” he demanded, dropping his schoolbag at the foot of his bed.

Kero paused his game and glowered at him. “Like what?” he demanded.

Touya dropped back onto the bed, scrubbing his face with his hands. There was a moment of silence before Kero settled on the bed beside him.

“What’s wrong?”

Touya didn’t answer, instead pulling the card from his pocket and holding it out.

“Illusion,” Kero murmured, taking it. “What did it look like?”

“Someone I know.”

“Oh? Was it Yukito?”

“What?” he prompted, lifting his head to glare back at him. “No. Yuki was with me.”

“What did he see?”

Touya frowned. “He said he didn’t see anything.”

Kero tilted his head. “He didn’t see anything?” he echoed.

“Is that strange?”

He considered that before giving a small shrug. “It’s different for everyone. Usually it shows you what you love or fear most. Sometimes it’s just what you expect to see though. If he wasn’t expecting to see anything, maybe that’s why he didn’t.”

Touya stared fixedly up at the ceiling, frowning hard.

“Did you see somebody you love?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Kero rolled his eyes. “You’re lucky though. Illusion can be a pretty volatile card. Especially since it can take the shape of someone you love. It uses that to throw people off and then takes advantage of them.”

“Takes advantage of them?”

“Yeah. You’re lucky it didn’t attack you or something.”

Touya vaguely remembered being pulled back toward the street.There hadn’t been any cars coming, but that could’ve changed in an instant. He’d have to remember to thank Yuki. Or had he already? It was hard to remember with how quickly everything had happened.

“Yeah, lucky,” he murmured.

“But hey! Now you have five cards! Only fourteen more to go!”

Touya groaned, rolling over and pressing his face into his pillow.

Kero chucked. “That’s the spirit!”

Touya just hoped that for the sake of his sanity that the next card wasn’t even worse.

 


	10. Yukito

Despite having spent his entire day out of the house and at school, Yukito found himself restless upon returning home. He hadn’t spent even an hour there before he’d picked up his umbrella to ward off the steady rain and gone out to buy some groceries. He couldn’t figure out why, but he’d been hungrier than usual lately. Grocery shopping seemed as good an excuse as any to get out of the house.

Once he’d gotten everything he needed at the store, he’d started back, momentarily distracted by the cake shop. While he was still debating on whether or not he should purchase a cake, he had the distinct sensation that he was being watched. Again. Why wouldn’t anyone let him look at cake in peace? Frowning, he glanced curiously around. He paused on spotting a familiar retreating back. 

“Touya!”

Touya stopped, turning back to him. He was still in his school uniform, but that wasn’t surprising since he’d had soccer practice and had to stay late at school. Knowing Touya, he was probably picking up some groceries on his way home.

Yukito reached him, beaming up at him. “Hey! I didn’t expect to run into you again so soon.”

“I guess I’m full of surprises,” Touya drawled, studying him.

Yukito blinked, staring back at him. “Is something wrong?” he asked, suddenly feeling oddly self-conscious. 

As much as he wanted to bring up the incident at the park a few days before, he decided not to unless Touya broached the subject first. Touya had seemed shaken by what had happened, even if he hadn’t said as much. 

Of course they hadn’t really had an opportunity to talk about it since then, whether or not Touya wanted to. It felt like almost every spare moment lately had to be devoted to studying. This was especially true for Touya, since he had the added burden of being a Cardcaptor at one of the busiest and most stressful times of the school year. Yukito had done his best not to distract him.

Touya shook his head. “Nothing’s wrong. You headed home?”

Yukito nodded, holding up his disturbingly large bag of groceries. “Yep! You?”

“Yeah. Want to walk together?”

“Of course,” he said, falling into step beside him.

As they walked, Yukito tried to start a conversation a few times, but after minimal assistance from Touya, they lapsed into silence instead. While nothing had changed in Touya’s posture or expression, the silence felt different from the ones they usually shared. Maybe the incident at the park was bothering him more than Yukito had thought.

“You’re sure everything’s okay?” Yukito hazarded against his better judgment.

Touya drew to a stop. They were just one block away from Yukito’s home. Yukito stopped beside him, blinking.

“...Touya?”

“If I wanted to talk about it, I would.”

He flinched at the edge to Touya’s voice. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pressed you. Can we forget about it?”

Touya continued to stare back at him. After a long moment, he gave a single nod, starting off once more. Yukito kept his mouth shut this time, frowning faintly at the sidewalk as they went. He’d been so excited to see him, to get the chance to spend more time with him, and now he found himself selfishly wishing he hadn’t run into Touya at the market.

But wasn’t that what friends were for? They helped you through the good times and the bad. If Touya didn’t want to talk about it, that was fine, but that didn’t mean Yukito couldn’t find another way to help.

“Do you have to head home right away?” he asked as they rounded the corner, his house just a few feet away.

There was a long pause before Touya shook his head. “I don’t.”

“Would you like to come in for dinner?”

“Not really.”

Yukito’s brows furrowed. “...oh. Okay. I guess I’ll see you at school tomorrow then?”

He didn’t answer, instead reaching up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Yukito’s ear. The rough tips of his fingers brushed the shell of his ear, effectively freezing Yukito in place. Touya lowered his hand, considering him. Yukito prayed his face wasn’t as red as it felt.

“Why don’t you put your groceries up and then we can go for a walk?” he finally asked.

Yukito felt his shoulders slump in relief. “Sure. Do you want to wait inside?”

Touya nodded, trailing after him. They both removed their shoes and switched to slippers in the entryway. Touya went and took a seat on the sofa while Yukito went to the kitchen, putting everything away as quickly as possible. 

“Ready?” he prompted, heading back to the entryway.

Touya didn’t answer as he climbed to his feet. They put their shoes back on in silence. Yukito forced himself to ignore how awkward it all felt. Touya said he wanted to go on a walk with him. Surely that meant everything was okay. 

Yukito led the way out, locking up and starting down the sidewalk. The rain had let up, but he held onto his umbrella just in case. Touya took the lead, heading in a direction Yukito didn’t typically travel. There wasn’t much out that way aside from some woods. He supposed that made it a good enough place to walk. Oddly private. His heart beat a little faster while he forced the thought aside.

They reached the treeline soon enough. Yukito debated on whether or not to unfold his umbrella, but the drops falling from the leaves above weren’t too bad. 

“Have you been out this way before, Touya?”

“A few times.”

He nodded, glancing around. Yukito had to admit that it was pretty. He didn’t get out into nature a lot. He’d have to make more of an effort to. The trees were vibrant with their spring growth, the greens seeming more intense than usual. They eventually came to a clearing with a sheer cliff face beyond.

Yukito’s brows furrowed as he noted it. “You’d think they’d have guardrails up or something. That’s pretty dangerous.”

Touya was staring at him again. Yukito could practically hear the wheels turning in his head, though what conclusion Touya would come to was beyond him.

“Yukito.”

His full attention immediately swung back in his direction. “Yes, Touya?”

Touya drew closer, gently cupping his cheek. Yukito felt his face warm, his heart pounding hard in his chest. His breath caught as Touya leaned closer, leaving mere inches between their lips. He tentatively leaned closer, eyes wide. Was he about to..?

Just before their lips could touch, Touya leaned back, a look of utter revulsion on his face.

“That’s what I thought.”

This time Yukito found himself struggling to remember to breathe for an entirely different reason. His stomach dropped and he suddenly felt light headed. 

This couldn’t be happening.

“I’d begun to suspect,” Touya continued. “This just confirms it.”

He didn’t answer, feeling like he might throw up if he even tried to open his mouth.

“You thought I would kiss  _ you _ ? You really are delusional. Here I was thinking we were friends and you’ve just been lusting after me the whole time. It’s disgusting.”

Yukito felt his nose and eyes begin to burn, his body trembling now of its own accord.

“Maybe next time you pretend to be someone’s friend so you can get into their pants, you’ll make sure they’re actually into you first.”

“That’s not…”

Touya silenced him with a look that Yukito was certain he reserved for examining slimy things on the bottom of his shoe. It cut him to the core and he couldn’t keep the tears from falling any longer.

“Don’t come near me again, Tsukishiro,” he said, turning and starting back toward the treeline.

Yukito barely managed to keep himself together until he was out of sight, sinking heavily to the ground. He didn’t care that his clothes were growing more damp by the second due to the rain soaked grass. He bit his lip but didn’t manage to hold back the sob trying to escape him. He pulled his knees to his chest, pressing his forehead against them as the torrent of emotions flooded out of him.

He didn’t know how long he sat there. By the time he managed to calm himself down enough to think, every stitch of clothing pressed against the ground was soaked through. His eyes shifted to the edge of the cliff. For a brief moment, he wanted nothing more than to throw himself off of it.

He turned his head, resting his cheek on his knees. He would make it through all this somehow, even if most of him just felt numb. Even if his entire world felt like it was falling apart.

He could barely see by the time he climbed to his feet. There weren’t any lights out there and the moon was conspicuously absent. Yukito shoved his emotions down, clearing his head entirely as he slowly picked his way back through the trees. By the time he made it through to the other side, he was sore and his hands were badly scraped from how many times he’d tripped and fallen. At least the dull throbbing gave him something else to focus on.

Yukito stood there on the sidewalk, belatedly realizing he was staring in the direction of the Kinomoto household. He gave a sharp shake of his head, turning and beginning back home. He didn’t bother to eat upon arrival. He had no appetite and no energy. He barely managed a shower before he collapsed into his bed. Thankfully he wasn’t awake for long.


	11. Touya

Touya couldn’t remember the last time he’d been late. He shouldn’t have gotten caught up in talking to Kero about the Cards the night before, but he didn’t want to be caught off guard again like he had been with Illusion. He’d spent most of that time trying to cajole Kero into giving up more information, but the Guardian had been adamant that most of what he sought had to be figured out on his own. He’d refused to explain why and it was infuriating, to say the least.

Of course Sakura had taken great pleasure in the fact she’d been up before Touya for once.

He couldn’t say he was entirely surprised when he reached his and Yukito’s typical meeting spot and his friend wasn’t there. Smart to give up on him and head to school rather than risk being late too. Touya barely managed to park his bike and take a seat at his desk before the teacher entered the room. Once he caught his breath, he turned toward Yukito’s seat, frowning when he realized it was empty. He caught Eriol eyeing it too. For once he didn’t have the energy to be annoyed by the guy.

Touya couldn’t explain why, but the day felt like it was never going to end. Every time he looked at the clock, he swore its hands hadn’t moved. When the day finally ended an eternity later, he was out of his seat immediately, earning a startled look from one of his classmates. He grabbed his bag and headed to the door, pausing when Eriol called after him.

Turning, he scowled at the other boy. “What do you want?”

Eriol offered that infuriating smile of his in return, unperturbed by Touya’s ire. “I just wanted to see if you knew why Yukito was absent today.”

His scowl eased up only marginally. “I don’t know. I figure he’s probably sick or something.”

Eriol looked back to Yukito’s empty seat. “I can’t help but feel there’s more to it than that.

Touya stood a little straighter. “Why do you say that?”

He shrugged. Looking closer, Touya could see the faintest of worry lines on his forehead.

“I think I’ll stop by his place,” Eriol said, starting out of the classroom.

“I’ll go with you.”

Eriol arched a brow. “Alright.” 

Touya didn’t bother talking to him as they went. Eriol didn’t seem troubled by the silence. Passing through the school gates, they started down the sidewalk. If possible, the walk to Yukito’s felt even longer than the school day had. 

The gate was locked upon their arrival. Eriol pressed the buzzer and they stood there, waiting for Yukito to answer. A few minutes ticked by. Eriol frowned.

“I guess he’s not home,” Touya said, crossing his arms and staring at Yukito’s front door. “Maybe he went on vacation with his grandparents.”

“I doubt that.”

Touya decided not to ask what he meant, instead closing his eyes and redirecting his attention to his gift. He’d always been able to pinpoint others if he focused. Occasionally he could sense what they were feeling too. That took a little more effort. The only person who he seemed constantly aware of was Sakura.

As he locked on to Yukito’s location, he realized that wherever he was, he wasn’t anywhere near his home. He seemed to be on the other side of town. Touya wish he knew where. Maybe the doctor’s office? At any rate, he was alive and well. Hopefully he’d be at school tomorrow. If not, Touya wasn’t above tracking him down.

Eriol wordlessly began away from the house, thankfully not in Yukito’s direction. Sighing, Touya headed toward his own home.

 

**\---**

 

“You’re late!” Kero informed Touya as he stepped into his room. 

Touya ignored him, setting his bag down and changing out of his uniform. When Kero flew into his face, he batted him away which only resulted in more shouting.

Touya pulled out his desk chair, taking a seat. He took out his history textbook, looking sightlessly down at the pages. Kero settled on the desk beside it, brow furrowed.

“What’s wrong? You look almost as bad as when you came back from catching Illusion.”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

Kero snorted, crossing his arms and staring up at him. “Wanna try again?”

Touya groaned, slamming his textbook closed.

“Well?”

He wanted to tell the fuzzball to buzz off, but that didn’t seem like it would help the situation. The last thing he needed right now was for Kero to go on another tirade. He didn’t have the energy or the patience for it.

“Yuki wasn’t at school today.”

Kero cocked his head to the side. “So?”

“He wasn’t at home either.”

“Sooo?”

Touya shrugged, gaze shifting to the window and once more in Yukito’s direction. He seemed to still be wherever he was. “Something just feels off to me.”

“Off how? People miss school, don’t they?”

“I don’t know. That Eriol kid seemed worried too.”

“Maybe that’s what’s bothering you,” Kero drawled, sitting cross-legged. 

Apparently he was settling in for a long talk.

When Touya didn’t answer, he continued. “Y’know, you’re pretty possessive over someone you’re supposedly not even interested in romantically.”

That earned a glare. “Possessive? I’m not possessive.”

“All you could talk about the other day was how the guy gave Yukito that ring.”

“Because it was weird.”

Kero shrugged. “People give people they like stuff all the time. You still haven’t even figured out why the guy bothers you so much. Maybe your intuition is off this time. Besides, if he and Eriol end up dating, you’re gonna have to get used to him sooner or later.”

Touya didn’t dignify that with a response. He reopened his textbook, flipping through the pages until he reached the point he’d left off at.

“I know I’ve been teasing you about this whole thing, but I really do think you’ve got some sort of feelings for Yukito that aren’t just friendship.”

“I’ll take that under advisement.”

“I’m just sayin’. If you’re interested in the guy, you should probably get in there before Eriol does. Seems like he’s already winning.”

Touya pressed his fingertip to the page, dragging it slowly down as he tried to read. “It’s not a competition.”

“Isn’t it?”

He lifted his head just so Kero could see him roll his eyes.

“So if you had to pick between Yukito and this Kaho lady, who would you pick?”

Touya opened his mouth to tell him that was easy. For some reason, he found himself hesitating when he went to say Kaho. Kero grinned triumphantly.

“You’re assuming that I’m gay, y’know.”

Kero waved a dismissive paw. “Who cares what you are? Clow Reed was all over the place when it came to that kind of thing. Especially as far as Yue was concerned.”

Touya’s brows lifted incredulously. “He slept with the other Guardian?”

Kero blinked before scowling and waving his arms. “Get your head out of the gutter! I already told you that Yue has more of a human shape! He’s not like me!”

“It’s still kind of creepy. That’d be like sleeping with your kid, wouldn’t it?”

Kero lifted off from the desk, hovering just at eye level with him. “Clow could be creepy, but he wasn’t  _ that _ creepy. We didn’t have that kind of relationship with him. Sure, he was our creator, but he wasn’t our parent.”

“I fail to see how that’s any less creepy. That’s like building your own sentient sex doll.”

Kero threw his hands up, floating back in the direction of the bed. “Y’know what, I have better things to do than try to get that through your thick head.”

Touya scoffed and climbed to his feet as Sakura shouted her arrival downstairs. “It’s still creepy,” he said as he stepped out, closing the door on Kero’s shout of protest.

Touya shoved all that to the back of his head as he walked downstairs. “You don’t have to yell, y’know. It’s pretty obvious when a monster comes inside. The whole house shakes.”

Sakura whirled to face him, fist clenched and expression black. “I am not a monster!”

“Whatever you say,  _ monster _ .”

She tried in vain to stomp on his foot, but he dodged her easily as he made his way into the kitchen. She followed him, silently fuming. After a moment, some of her anger seemed to leave her in favor of curiosity.

“Why hasn’t your friend visited lately?”

Touya opened the refrigerator, studying the contents. “Who? Yuki?”

“Yeah. I thought you were both coming over yesterday when I saw you walking together.”

That earned his full attention and he looked back at her. “I wasn’t walking with him yesterday. I had soccer and it ran late.”

“Huh.” She pursed her lips, trying to recall the moment. “I guess it was just someone who looked a lot like you then.”

He felt a prickle of unease. But they’d already gotten Illusion, hadn’t they? Was there another card that could mimic someone’s appearance? Or was he just being paranoid? He made a mental note to ask Kero when he got back to his room.

“Touya?”

“Yeah?”

When Sakura didn’t immediately answer, he grabbed an orange, leaning back and closing the fridge. He waited patiently, taking a plate out of the cupboard. He set the orange on it and picked up a knife. When she still hadn’t said anything by the time he finished slicing it, he looked over to her.

Sakura stared down at her feet as she chewed on her thumbnail.

“What is it?”

“Have you noticed anything...weird lately?”

He tensed and had to force himself to relax again. “Weird how?”

She shrugged. “I never used to notice spirits and stuff like you, but…”

“But?”

She shifted from foot to foot.

“Hey, if something’s wrong, you can tell me,” he said, softening his voice to his ‘caring big brother’ tone.

Sakura stopped shifting. “I don’t really know how to explain it. I just keep feeling like there’s something out there. I know you’re sensitive to things like that and I was hoping you could feel it too.”

He debated on denying it. He didn’t want Sakura to get involved, not with something so dangerous. Hell, he still wasn’t entirely thrilled that Yukito was. He purposefully ignored the memory that resurfaced, when Kero had told him he treated Yukito like he did his sister. Did he want her to be completely in the dark though? Could that get her hurt too?

“Touya?”

He took a bite of his orange, chewing slowly. He swallowed and reluctantly offered, “Yeah. I’ve felt it too.”

Her relief was palpable. “What do you think it is? Do you think it’s something bad?”

“I don’t know. All we can really do right now is keep an eye out just in case. Let me know if you notice anything else, okay?”

She nodded, grinning back at him. “You, too!”

“Sure, kiddo,” he said, feeling a small twist of guilt at the lie.

By the time he made it back upstairs, he’d forgotten all about his supposed doppelganger.


	12. Eriol

It had been easy enough to throw Touya off. He’d purposefully gone in the wrong direction when he’d left Yukito’s house. While Touya seemed to suspect him of something, it didn’t seem like he was concerned about him being a magic user. Whether that meant he didn’t know or didn’t care, Eriol wasn’t sure.

Yukito was further from home than Eriol would have expected. As he approached a wooded area on the edge of town, he realized he would have to come up with some sort of lie as to how he’d come across him. He crossed the treeline, gradually moving deeper into the woods. 

It was an odd place for Yukito to be, what with how many spirits seemed to occupy the area. In Eriol’s experience, most people tended to avoid areas heavy with ghosts, even if they couldn’t actually sense them there. He wondered if Yukito felt more at home here than he did amongst humans.

As he grew closer, he became aware of a rhythmic ‘thunking’ noise, with longer pauses between each series of them. Before long he found himself at the edge of a clearing. Yukito stood at one end of it, bow and arrow in hand. A quiver lay on the ground beside him. Eriol watched as he nocked the arrow. He wore a look of intense concentration on his face as he let it fly. It landed dead center in the tree trunk across from him. Three more were buried in the wood above it, nearly in a straight line.

Yue had always loved archery. He had a natural talent for it that practice had honed into exceptional skill. While he and his borrowed forms were separate beings, it looked like certain traits carried over between the changes. Eriol wondered what other similarities they shared.

Eriol watched as he sent three more arrows into the tree trunk, only stepping out once Yukito lowered the bow and went to collect them. He clapped lightly, making the other boy jump and whirl to face him. The panicked look on his face quickly shifted to relief and Yukito managed a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Eriol. What are you doing here?”

“I was looking for somewhere quiet to sketch. I’ve been trying to work on my landscapes lately.”

“You sketch?”

He nodded, walking over to him. The slightest bit of color came to Yukito’s cheeks when he stopped just at the edge of his personal space.  _ Good _ .

“I wasn’t aware you were so masterful with a bow and arrow.”

The color deepened. Whatever was on the back of Yukito’s mind seemed to have been pressed further back, his smile more genuine this time. “Thank you. You’ll probably think I’m crazy, but I find shooting relaxes me. I help the archery club out on occasion too.”

“I can see why. It must drive them crazy that you haven’t become a member. I’ve heard rumors the basketball club is equally upset.”

Yukito’s gaze dropped and he rubbed the back of his neck as he stared fixedly down at the moss covered ground. “They’re exaggerating.”

“No, I think you’re just being modest. There’s nothing wrong with being proud of yourself. Why haven’t you joined either club?”

He shrugged, returning his attention to gathering his arrows. “I enjoy all of it, but I like the variety just helping gives me. I don’t have to commit to any one thing.”

“I can see the appeal. You weren’t in school today.”

If he noticed the abrupt change of subject, Yukito didn’t comment. He did, however, look abashed.

“I needed a personal day,” he hedged.

“Oh? Is everything alright? You don’t seem like the type to miss school just because. Touya and I were both concerned when you weren’t there.”

Yukito flinched at Touya’s name. Eriol swore he saw his eyes welling. He was struck with an uncharacteristic wave of concern and compassion. He remembered feeling like this as Clow, particularly in regard to Yue, but it was disconcerting to realize it wasn’t just the aftereffects of a memory this time. He really was in trouble, wasn’t he?

Eriol closed the distance between them, folding Yukito into his arms. He felt the other boy tense, but Yukito didn’t pull away. He stood there, rigid and not returning the gesture. Eriol wondered if he’d miscalculated and was about to pull back when Yukito dropped the bow and quiver, pressing closer to him.

This was  _ right _ , Eriol thought as he gently rubbed Yukito’s back. They fit perfectly together, Yukito’s head just coming to rest just beneath his chin. He felt a surge of possessiveness and gently drew him closer.

“It’s okay,” Eriol murmured.

They stood there awhile longer before Yukito sank into him, his fingers tightening in the front of Eriol’s uniform jacket. He gave a soft, broken sob that sent a wave of anger through Eriol. He hadn’t thought he was capable of such utter hate, but he found himself hating Touya for whatever he’d done to upset  _ his _ Yue.

Eriol forced his thoughts from Touya, instead focusing entirely on the boy in his arms. He murmured words of comfort, allowing small tendrils of his magic to pass softly into him. He was careful not to do too much, lest Yukito notice he wasn’t calming down naturally.

They stood there for what felt like forever. Yukito’s sobs gradually died down, turning into soft gasps for air before they stopped entirely. Eriol’s jacket was damp and wrinkled by the end of it, and despite his typical concern over his appearance, he found he didn’t care. More of Yukito’s weight pressed against him, making him frown.

Though he knew it was risky, Eriol tentatively scanned him with his powers, trying to determine the reasoning behind the sudden fatigue. It seemed too much to be due to emotion alone. With a start, he realized Yukito hadn’t eaten. His eyes narrowed.

“When was the last time you ate?”

Yukito didn’t answer, sinking further against him. He suddenly collapsed, but Eriol managed to catch him before he hit the ground. Eriol carefully picked him up bridal style, unperturbed by the boy’s weight. Yue had always been unusually light. It seemed his borrowed form was no different.

Arms full, Eriol drew on his magic to collect Yukito’s things. The arrows settled back in the quiver and the bow, quiver, and messenger bag floated over to them. Satisfied he’d gotten everything, Eriol started toward his own home.

Yukito didn’t so much as stir as they walked. Thankfully the woods were relatively close to his home and Eriol didn’t come across anyone else as he walked. The gates opened of their own accord and he stepped inside before they closed behind him. The front door opened as well and Eriol went inside, making a beeline toward his room.

For the first time, he was aware of how bare the house was. True, it was meant to only be temporary and it really wasn’t  _ his _ home. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what Yukito would make of it when he woke. 

Eriol set Yukito on the bed, his things settling gently on the floor beside it. Eriol eased him back, removing Yukito’s shoes and jacket before positioning him under the blankets. He summoned his chair, taking a seat beside the bed and picking up Yukito’s right hand. 

While Yukito hadn’t eaten, he still wore the ring. It was likely all that had kept him conscious up to this point. With how little power remained in the cards and in the Guardians after Sakura’s failure, Eriol had thought it prudent to imbue the ring with magic to help sustain him in the absence of a Master. It wouldn’t work indefinitely, but it would slow the fading process.

Really, what had Clow been thinking when he’d given Yue such a weakness? For someone who claimed to love Yue, he’d threatened his very existence with the limitations he was instilled with. If it was possible to be angry with your prior incarnation, Eriol was.

And he’d been such a levelheaded person before.

While Yukito slept, Eriol charged the ring with more of his magic. Some of the color returned to Yukito’s cheeks, easing the worry Eriol hadn’t realized he was feeling. Once he was satisfied Yukito was safe and comfortable, he reluctantly dropped his hand and headed to the door in order to start on an early dinner.

As Eriol reached the doorway, he paused, staring back at Yukito’s sleeping form. He looked younger somehow without his glasses. Admittedly, Eriol was puzzled why a magical being needed glasses in the first place, but Clow’s memories didn’t offer up any explanation. He established a line of awareness open between himself and Yukito as he left the room.


	13. Yukito

Yukito didn’t want to get up. He couldn’t remember his bed ever being this comfortable, but he wasn’t going to start complaining now. Not only that, but he felt a sense of peace he hadn’t felt since his conversation with Touya. Like some of the hurt had faded. His stomach grumbled, reluctantly making him open his eyes.

He yawned as he felt around his nightstand for his glasses. He slid them on, blinking owlishly up at the ceiling. He slowly sat up, looking instinctively to the clock hanging over the mantle.

The mantle?

Yukito didn’t know what scared him more, that he hadn’t realized he wasn’t in his own room or that he didn’t know where he was. He wasn’t left wondering for long. As if on cue, there was a light knock on the door before it opened. Eriol offered him a smile from the doorway.

“Did you sleep well?”

The events of the afternoon came back in a flood, leaving Yukito disoriented. Eriol’s brows furrowed and he made his way over, gently resting his hand on Yukito’s shoulder. The gesture brought more comfort than Yukito would’ve thought.

“I don’t mean to pry, but I want to let you know that if there’s something you want to talk about, I’m all ears.”

Did he want to talk about it? Truth be told, he didn’t even want to think about what had happened the other day. He had never felt so ashamed or undesirable in his life. Not that anyone had ever actually desired him...

Eriol gently cupped his cheek, making him freeze. Though he didn’t pull away, Eriol frowned down at him. Yukito couldn’t decide if he wanted him to stop touching him or not. When Eriol suddenly leaned forward, his heart started pounding, bile rising in the back of his throat. Despite his panic, Yukito found himself unable to bolt from the room like he wanted to. Instead he was stuck in place, feeling all the more pathetic for it.

Eriol pressed his lips to his forehead and Yukito felt like he was going to cry for an entirely different reason. They were warmer than he would have expected. Bizarrely, it felt like the first time someone had kissed him like that. That couldn’t be true though. Surely his parents or grandparents had at some point.

He jumped a little as Eriol pressed another kiss to the tip of his nose. The brief calm he’d felt was swept away in another tide of panic as Eriol’s lips drew closer to his own. Yukito clenched his eyes shut, body tensing.

Eriol’s lips pressed against his as softly as they had against his forehead. Yukito’s eyes snapped open again. Eriol didn’t pull away, instead tilting Yukito’s head to a better angle. Yukito moved as directed, his heart rate gradually slowing. It quickly picked back up as Eriol kissed him a second time. This one was a little more insistent. Yukito found himself reflexively responding, though he was painfully aware of his lack of experience with intimacy of any kind. Eriol didn’t seem to mind, if the fond look he wore as he pulled back was anything to go by. 

“I’ve wanted to do that for a while now,” Eriol murmured. There was a husky note to his voice that made Yukito shiver.

“Y-You have?”

“More than that, really,” he said, thumb brushing back and forth against Yukito’s cheek. 

Yukito tentatively leaned into his touch, staring up at him in wonder and a little fear. “More?”

Eriol’s smug smile did funny things to his insides, leaving him feeling too warm all of a sudden.

“I have to admit I expected to get you into my bed under different circumstances. I have to say you look very nice in it regardless.”

Yukito wondered if something in his brain had short-circuited. Eriol hadn’t actually said that, had he?

“Hopefully you’ll be back soon enough,” Eriol continued, taking him by his hands and pulling him effortlessly to his feet. 

Yukito stared back at him, curling and uncurling his toes in his socks. The brush of skin against fabric helped ground him, reassuring him he wasn’t dreaming.

“I made us dinner,” Eriol said, turning and starting to the door. 

He only released one of Yukito’s hands once he led him out and to the formal dining room. Yukito let himself be directed. He studied the hall and the rooms branching off of it as they went. It was different than he would’ve expected, though it suited Eriol completely. There was something stately about it all that left Yukito feeling childish and unsophisticated by comparison.

His stomach growled loudly as the scent of something mouthwatering hit him. Eriol chuckled.

“Don’t worry. I made plenty just in case.”

His face warmed. “I guess my reputation proceeds me…”

“Nothing wrong with a healthy appetite.”

Eriol pulled one of the chairs out for Yukito. Yukito thanked him as he sat, immediately zeroing in on the enormous pot of stew and the loaves of bread on the table. His bowl was already full and several neat slices of bread sat on a plate beside it, the butter on them still in the process of melting into the nooks and crannies. Eriol sat across from him. Despite the extra chairs and the size of the table, the setting felt intimate. It probably helped they weren’t seated at the head and foot. A candle flickered where it rested to the side of their dinnerware.

“Please, help yourself,” Eriol said, gesturing for him to begin.

Yukito gingerly picked up his spoon, murmuring his thanks before he took his first bite. His eyes widened as flavor exploded in his mouth. The stew itself was thick, almost more like a gravy. He could taste beef, onion, and carrots, as well as a blend of spices he couldn’t begin to parse through. He chewed slowly, trying his best to savor it all.

“I hope you like it.”

He nodded, grinning. “I’ve never had anything like it! I’m pretty adept in the kitchen but this… Did you make this?”

“I did. I baked the bread as well.”

Yukto picked up a slice, taking a bite. The bread practically melted in his mouth and his eyes slid closed in pleasure. A soft moan escaped him.

“I hope I can replicate that sort of response in a more intimate setting.”

His face went scarlet. Yukito genuinely wondered if it was possible to burn your own ears off with embarrassment.

“I’m sorry. I’m being very forward. I’ll try to tone it down.”

He managed a nod, returning his attention to the food. By the time they finished, there was nothing left of the enormous pot of stew or the loaves of bread. While Eriol had made him feel self conscious about his appearance, Yukito didn’t feel like a freak for the first time while eating. Even Touya…

He stopped that trail of thought before it could go any further, moving to his feet to redirect his attention. “I’ll help you with the dishes.”

“That’s very kind, but you don’t have to. Besides, there’s still dessert.”

Had his heart actually just fluttered at the word?

Eriol left the dishes where they were as he stepped out of the room. He returned with two slices of vanilla cake with vanilla frosting, one of which was significantly larger than the other.

“Eriol…”

“Please, help yourself,” he said, setting the plates down on the table once Yukito had moved the dinnerware out of the way.

Yukito belatedly realized there was an unused fork on the table at both of their place settings. He retook his seat, spearing a bite of the cake. He steeled himself, silently praying it was as good as the dinner had been as he slid it into his mouth. He wasn’t disappointed. As good as the stew had been, the cake and its subtle yet powerful flavors was the best he’d ever tasted. The frosting alone made his toes curl and he gave a delighted shiver.

“Is your silence a good thing?”

Recalling himself, Yukito’s face warmed for what felt like the hundredth time that evening. He nodded quickly. “It’s… Eriol, did you  _ make  _ this too?”

“I did. You were asleep for quite some time.”

That brought him up short. “It was just an hour or two, wasn’t it?”

He was fairly certain it had been early afternoon whenever Eriol had come across him in the woods. The clock that hung over the mantle in Eriol’s room had read six o’clock. 

Eriol gave him a funny look. “It’s been over twenty-four hours.”

“ _ What _ ?!”

“It’s all right. It’s the weekend after all. You didn’t miss another day of school.”

“Oh, you should’ve woken me up,” Yukito protested, frowning. “I didn’t mean to put you out like that. I...I don’t know what happened.”

“You were exhausted, physically and emotionally. I’m not surprised you were out for so long. Did you sleep the night before?”

He shook his head, staring quietly down at his cake.

“Well, there you go. Please eat your cake.”

Yukito nodded, spearing another bite. The conversation lapsed as they ate. He went slowly, trying to savor every bite. He finally set his fork down with a soft, contented sigh.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Eriol said, standing to collect the dishes.

Yukito quickly moved to his feet to help. Despite Eriol’s protests, he started washing th dishes once they’d gotten them all to the kitchen sink. Eriol stood beside him, drying each dish as Yukito handed it to him before putting them away in the cabinets.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked once they were nearly halfway through.

Yukito paused. The warm water he’d been using to rinse the pot poured over his hand, leaving the skin it came into contact with pink.

“Yukito?”

He gave a brief shake of his head, more to snap himself out of his thoughts than anything else. “I…” 

Would it help? Would it hurt? What if he told Eriol and he decided Touya was right?

Eriol leaned toward him, gently running his fingers through Yukito’s hair. It should have been a weird gesture, but it calmed Yukito almost instantly. He took a deep breath.

“Touya found out I had…” He trailed off, a lump forming in his throat.

“Feelings for him?” Eriol finished, making him start.

Eriol offered him a humorless smile. “I’m surprised it took him so long to notice. I knew it from the moment I saw the two of you together.”

Yukito didn’t know how to feel about that, let alone how to respond. He hung his head as he finished rinsing the pot, handing it over and starting on one of the glasses. Eriol didn’t press him and the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. He finally made up his mind.

“He...He said I disgusted him.”

The silence this time was deafening. Yukito sent Eriol a worried look, blinking at the furious expression he wore.

“...Eriol?”

“ _ Touya _ told you that?” he demanded.

Yukito looked away from him, running the sponge across the glass more times than necessary. When he didn’t answer, Eriol continued.

“Forgive me, but I’m surprised to hear that. I was under the impression the two of you were very close.”

“I was too…”

Eriol’s gaze shifted to the window and he stared out at the gardens beyond, expression pensive. “How odd,” he murmured so softly, Yukito almost didn’t hear it.

“You aren’t upset?” Yukito hazarded.

“With you or with Touya?”

“Me.”

Eriol gave him a puzzled look. “Why would I be upset with you?”

Yukito set the glass down, picking up the second and washing it slowly. “You just kissed me and I told you I liked Touya.”

He scoffed, earning a startled look from Yukito. “I think there’s part of you that might feel similarly for me. If not now, maybe in the future. Besides, you said that you ‘had’ feelings for him, not that you ‘have’ them. You also didn’t seem like you were opposed to me kissing you.”

Yukito ducked his head, hoping to hide his embarrassment. “It was nice. I’ve never kissed someone before.”

“Ah…” 

When he didn’t continue, Yukito lifted his head. Eriol looked...upset? But why would he be upset?

“I didn’t realize it was your first. I shouldn’t have taken it from you like that.”

He shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I’m glad you did. Especially after what happened with Touya. I might have freaked out or panicked otherwise.”

He nodded, reaching up to give Yukito’s shoulder a brief squeeze. “For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t have known it was your first time if you hadn’t told me.”

Yukito felt a surge of relief. “Really? You’re not just saying that, are you?”

Eriol gave him a wicked look that made his mouth go dry. “Not that I’m opposed to helping you practice, of course. Once you make your decision.”

“My decision?” he asked once he got his tongue unstuck from the roof of his mouth.

“About whether or not you want to practice with me. About whether or not you like me too.”

“Oh.”

“It’s all right. There’s no rush.”

Yukito handed him the second glass to dry. “Thank you, Eriol. For everything. This is… This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. I will think about it. I think my answer will be yes. I just need a little more time to process everything. So much has happened so fast.”

“I understand completely.”

“Have you kissed many other people?”

The sudden change in topic made Eriol’s eyes widen only briefly before he recollected himself. Yukito found himself wanting to do more to bring out those little breaks in his otherwise calm and collected demeanor. He didn’t think Eriol was purposefully hiding what he felt. He and Touya were similar in the sense that they both came across as so serious all the time. 

“A few,” Eriol admitted. “It’s different with you though.”

“How so?”

“It’s not a game with you.”

Eriol left him with his thoughts for the most part after that. They finished with the dishes and Yukito insisted on wiping down the kitchen and the table. When he was finally finished, he gathered his things and headed to the door.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to walk with you?” Eriol prompted.

“I’ll be okay. Thank you though.”

He blinked as Eriol met him at the door with a large box.

“What’s this?” he asked as he took it.

“The rest of the cake.”

Yukito’s face lit up. “Really? Are you sure?”

Eriol nodded. “I hope you enjoy it, Yukito.”

Yukito stood there a long moment, earning another puzzled look for it. He took a deep breath before leaning forward and pressing a light kiss to Eriol’s cheek. Eriol’s brows lifted in surprise.

“Thank you, Eriol,” he insisted as he stepped outside.

He had a lot to think about on his walk home.


	14. Touya

Touya was up early on Monday morning, determined to stop by Yukito’s place on his way to school if his friend wasn’t waiting for him at their usual spot. As he approached the section of tree lined sidewalk on his bike, he came to a complete stop. Yukito wasn’t there, but Eriol was. How the hell did he know about this place to begin with? And judging by how focused Eriol was on him, he’d been waiting for him to arrive.

Touya didn’t greet him. Eriol didn’t seem interested in pleasantries either.

“What do you want?” he demanded.

Something shifted in Eriol’s expression, making him sit a little straighter on his bike. It was enough to reassure Touya he was right in assuming Eriol was dangerous. He just wished he knew how.

“Do you recall seeing Yukito last Thursday?”

“We had school, so yeah.”

“I mean after school.”

Abruptly his conversation with Sakura returned to him and Touya tensed. “No. I had soccer practice and it ran late. Why?”

“I spoke with Yukito over the weekend about why he missed school. He didn’t want to open up to me at first, but he claims you told him that he disgusted you after realizing he had feelings for you that went beyond friendship.”

Touya’s mouth went slack as he struggled to process what he’d said. For some reason, his brain seemed far more interested in the bit about Yukito’s feelings for him. He forced himself to focus.

“Yuki’s my friend. I would never say something like that to him. But…”

“But?”

Touya glanced to the side, expression pensive. “My little sister said she thought she’d seen me with him too.” Why he was admitting as much to the creep was beyond him. He should’ve told him to fuck off as soon as he rode up.

“It sounds like you have an evil twin then,” Eriol said dryly. Still, Touya got the feeling he was relieved. “I suggest you approach Yukito carefully and explain the situation to him.”

“What the hell does any of this have to do with you?”

Eriol stared fixedly back at him as he said, “I happen to view Yukito as more than a friend. As much as you and I dislike each other, I do happen to care about whether or not he’s happy. I can tell you right now that he isn’t. I’d rather not win this little contest just because of a misunderstanding. I don’t need any help.”

Touya set his jaw, his hands tightening around his handlebars. “Contest? What contest?”

Eriol turned from him, starting across the street. As he went, he called back to him, “Fix things with Yukito, Kinomoto. And then maybe try to actually pay attention to the things that are happening around you.”

Touya glared at his retreating back, struggling to rein in his temper.

“I don’t like that guy,” a voice offered from right beside him.

Touya very nearly jumped out of his own skin. He whirled, belatedly realizing he could feel Kero’s energy. Kero floated out of his backpack and settled on the handlebars, glaring just as hard in Eriol’s direction.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Touya demanded.

Kero looked up at him and frowned. “I just had a bad feeling, is all.”

“About?”

He shrugged, frowning harder. “Did you really say something like that to your boyfriend?”

Touya glowered at him. “Yuki isn’t my boyfriend.”

“You’re avoiding the question.”

He flicked him in the back of the head, only narrowly managing to pull his hand back before Kero bit his finger. “What do you think?” he demanded. “Does that sound like something I would say to my best friend?”

Kero crossed his arms, floating in front of his face. “This isn’t good.”

“Tell me about it. Is it a Clow Card?”

“Probably. Why didn’t you tell me Sakura thought she’d seen you with Yukito?”

“I was going to but I forgot. I figured maybe she was mistaken. What kind of card could impersonate me like that?”

If anything, Kero just looked more worried. “We’ll figure it out soon enough. For now, you’d better get a move on or you’re going to be late.”

“No thanks to you,” Touya retorted, shoving him back into his bag. He ignored Kero’s protests as he climbed back on his bike, pedaling quickly in the direction of the school.

Despite Kero’s concerns, he managed to make it to class a few minutes early. He was relieved to see Yukito was already there, even if he seemed deep in conversation with Eriol. Touya resisted the urge to glare at Eriol again, not wanting to confuse Yukito further. 

By the time lunch rolled around, Touya was restlessly tapping his foot. While they hadn’t exactly had any group work, Yukito hadn’t so much as glanced in his direction for the entire first half of the day. Touya grabbed his bag and made a beeline to Yukito’s desk as soon as they were released.

Yukito had his own bag in his lap, still in the process of putting his things away. He nearly fell out of his seat when he caught sight of Touya. Touya reached out, catching him by the arm before he could hurt himself. Yukito froze, staring up at him with a mixture of fear and despair.

“Yuki.”

“What do you want, Touya?” 

Touya had to give him some credit for the edge to his voice. As upset as Yukito was, at least he wasn’t a pushover. Touya had a feeling Yukito would need some emotional fortitude if the Clow Cards were making him into a target.

Touya released his arm and Yukito was on his feet in an instant. Despite their difference in height, Touya felt small as Yukito’s expression morphed into something more belligerent. He couldn’t imagine Yukito so much as punching someone, yet right now he looked capable of beating someone to a bloody pulp. Touya reflexively lifted his hands in surrender.

“Look. Can we talk? I--”

Kero was suddenly out of his bag and in the air between them, facing Yukito. “That wasn’t Touya who said all that mean stuff to you! That was a Clow Card!”

“I can handle this on my own, y’know,” Touya snapped, scowling at him.

Thankfully the rest of the students had already cleared out and there wasn’t anyone there to witness the rat with wings.

Some of the anger left Yukito’s expression and posture, though he still looked wary. “A Clow Card? Then how did you know about...that?”

“That creepy guy with glasses told him about the whole thing this morning.”

“What? Who?”

“Eriol,” Touya cut in, batting Kero away.

Kero shot him a black look, instead floating over to Yukito and making himself comfortable on his shoulder. Despite himself, Yukito gave a soft chuckle. Kero turned to him, eyes imploring. 

“Can I come stay with you? Touya can be a real pain!”

“Shut up!” Touya snapped.

Both Kero and Yukito glared at him this time. He held his hands up again.

“Look, Yuki. I know it sounds crazy. Hell, half of what’s happened in the past month has been pretty crazy. But you’ve gotta believe me when I say I would never do anything to hurt you. I was at soccer practice that night, remember? It ran late. I went straight home after. My little sister told me she thought she saw the two of us together too.”

“But how?” Yukito asked, brows furrowing.

Touya shrugged. “I mean, I know you didn’t see anything as far as Kaho was concerned when we dealt with the Illusion Card, but I’m assuming if one of them can take on someone else’s appearance and all, it shouldn’t be too difficult for another to be capable of something similar.”

“A card similar to Illusion?”

Touya’s shoulders sagged in relief when he realized Yukito was actually going to listen. “Yeah. Kero said it’s possible, but he doesn’t know what card it could be.”

“But it felt so real… It looked just like you. It sounded just like you.”

“It wasn’t me,” Touya insisted. “Like I said, I’d never do anything to hurt you. You’re my best friend.”

Yukito gave a small nod, gaze dropping. He crossed his arms loosely in front of himself. “I believe you.”

“I’m still sorry it happened. I wish I’d been there to stop it. You’d better believe it’s going to be my top priority now.”

Yukito fell quiet. Touya forced himself to wait. Yukito looked like he wanted to say something important. Like he was gearing himself up for it.

“So it...doesn’t bother you?” he finally asked, voice barely above a whisper.

“Huh? What doesn’t bother me?”

Kero gave him a deadpan look. “You’ve gotta be kidding me, Touya.”

“What?!”

“He’s asking whether or not it bothers you that he has feelings for you, you idiot!”

Touya’s face flushed and he fell silent. If anything, that only seemed to make Yukito more nervous.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Touya insisted, reaching out to squeeze Yukito’s free shoulder.

Yukito’s eyes widened and he looked up, his own face a tad pink. “It...won’t ruin our friendship? I mean, I still understand if it makes you uncomfortable.” 

“Uh…”

Kero pointed at Yukito’s mouth. Touya’s attention zeroed in on it. Was it hot in the classroom? He hadn’t noticed it before. 

“I mean…”

Yukito’s face fell. “It’s okay. Finding out your friend has a crush on you can’t be easy. If you need some space, I understand completely.”

“That’s not it.”

“Then spit it out already!” Kero snapped.

Why was it this had all seemed so much easier with Kaho? Maybe it was because he’d actually realized he had feelings with for her before they started dating.

“Shut up, Kero!”  
Kero threw his hands up, tipping back to flip off of Yukito’s shoulder. He floated toward the bag, muttering to himself as he went.

“Touya, you shouldn’t be so mean to him,” Yukito admonished. 

Touya reached up, scrubbing at his face. Goddammit. Why was this more stressful than facing down that stupid Firey Card?

“I’m gonna go, okay?” Yukito said, voice growing softer.

“No!”

He froze from where he’d half turned away from Touya. 

“Yuki… It’s just…” He sighed. “It hasn’t been that long since I was with Kaho. I’m still sorting through everything that happened with her.”

“It’s okay, Touya. I figured as much after what happened the other day with Illusion.”

Touya felt like screaming. Maybe that would get some of his mounting frustration out. Why did this all have to be happening right now? He had enough to worry about. Even as he thought it, he felt guilty. 

On some level he knew Kero had a point. He  _ was _ treating Yukito differently than he treated his other friends. He wouldn’t have invited them to share his bed. He didn’t walk them home whenever it got late. He also didn’t give a damn who any of the rest of them dated. Yukito, however…

But was it love? Could he be in love with someone he’d only know for a few weeks now? Then again, he’d known he was in love with Kaho the instant he’d seen her. He’d never believed in love at first sight before that. He supposed he should’ve known, what with how quickly his parents had fallen for each other.

He didn’t feel the same way about Yukito that he felt about Kaho. Was it because Yukito was a guy? Were they just unusually close? Was it because Yukito’s family could never be bothered to be around?

Was it love?

Unaware of his inner turmoil, Yukito offered him a small smile before starting out of the classroom. Touya grabbed his shoulder, bringing him to an abrupt halt. Yukito turned back to him, eyes wide. Touya took a deep breath, grabbing him by his tie and pulling Yukito into a kiss.

Yukito didn’t react at first. Touya felt sweat prickle at the nape of his neck. His shirt was already damp with anxious perspiration. Then suddenly Yukito was responding. Relief flooded Touya, leaving his knees weak. He released Yukito’s tie so he could wrap his arms around him and pull him closer.

Yukito made a soft, pleased sound that encouraged Touya to gradually deepen the kiss. He drew his tongue across Yukito’s bottom lip and the other boy opening reflexively for him to explore. They only separated when the need to breathe won out.

Pulling back, Touya took in Yukito’s flushed cheeks and the way his brown eyes looked almost gold now. How the hell was he supposed to focus on the rest of his classes now?

“Touya…”

The husky tone in his voice left Touya with even more inappropriate thoughts.

He slid an arm around Yukito’s shoulders, face warm. “Let’s go get lunch, okay?”

Yukito blinked before beaming up at him and nodding. Touya didn’t remove his arm as they headed that way. Kero was never going to let him live this down.


	15. Yukito

Yukito was finding it difficult to keep track of all the changes happening in his life. Between helping Touya collect the cards and dealing with not one but two potential boyfriends, the concern he’d felt about his growing appetite had become an afterthought. He still couldn’t quite believe both Touya and Eriol were interested in him. The only downside thus far was that the hostility between them had intensified and he couldn’t help but feel he was to blame. At least neither of them was rushing him to make a decision. He felt guilty enough as it was.

Thankfully Touya had managed to catch the Mirror Card by successfully guessing it’s name. The only havoc it seemed to have wreaked was on his and Touya’s relationship. It was hard to be mad at the Card though when he knew that Touya might never have learned about his feelings otherwise. Hard, but not impossible. He still hoped he never had to see it again.

Touya had seven Cards already. Even Kero seemed impressed when he’d told Touya he was almost halfway through. There were nineteen total. With final exams out of the way, Touya had said he was determined to capture as many as possible over the summer holiday.

When Touya had invited him on a summer trip with the Kinomotos, Yukito had jumped at the chance. While his grandparents traveled extensively, he didn’t have many opportunities to go with them. It was nice to go on an adventure of his own for once. He finished the last of his packing and slung his bookbag over his shoulders before he started toward the Kinomoto residence.

They were going to the beach. Mr. Kinomoto had a colleague with a home near the water that he’d been able to rent at a discounted price. Yukito hadn’t been to the beach since he was a kid and his memories of it were hazy at best.

Reaching the Kinomoto residence, he didn’t even have to knock. Sakura and Touya were standing out in the driveway bickering over who would sit where in the car. Touya looked up as he approached before informing her she could have the front seat. Sakura looked stunned by his sudden change of heart. Touya ignored her, meeting Yukito at the end of the driveway.

“Hey, Yuki.”

They hadn’t kissed since that day in the classroom, but any time he was around Touya, Yukito’s heart rate picked up. It happened around Eriol too, if he wanted to be honest with himself. They were both alike and yet so different. Eriol had a way of making him feel like the most special person in the world while Touya was just...Touya.

Touya didn’t give him anything like the presents Eriol continued to press on him despite Yukito’s protests. The little things Touya did give him though were always equally special somehow. And while Eriol went out of his way to make amazing dinners for him, whenever Yukito ate with Touya they prepared the meal together. It was all so overwhelming at times, particularly since Yukito knew both of them already held pieces of his heart.

“Hi, Touya!” he answered, nodding a greeting to Sakura as well.

“We’re going to ride in the back, okay?”

“Sounds good,” he said, blinking when Touya went to slide his bookbag off of his back. 

Touya carried it over to the car, setting it in the trunk with the rest of their luggage. “Did you already eat breakfast?”

“I did.”

Touya nodded, grabbing something out of the trunk. He carried it over and pressed it into Yukito’s hands. Yukito opened the bag, staring down at a myriad of fresh pastries. Even though he’d eaten more than usual at breakfast, as soon as the smell hit him his stomach growled.

“I saved these for you. I figured they’d help tide you over until lunch.”

“You didn’t have to do that. I brought some snacks.”

Touya looked back to where he’d set Yukito’s bookbag. “Please tell me that’s not just filled with snacks.”

Yukito’s face flushed. “I have clothes in there too.”

“I believe you. But why don’t you save your snacks for the weekend and eat these now?”

“You’re sure the rest of you don’t want these?”

“We’re already stuffed.”

He nodded, pulling one out and taking a bite. He chewed and swallowed before beaming. “They’re delicious. Thank you, Touya.”

Touya waved a dismissive hand, but Yukito swore his face was flushed. “Don’t mention it.”

Yukito watched Sakura head back into the house before asking, “Is Kero joining us?”

Touya rolled his eyes. “Unfortunately.”

“Touya! He’s helped you out a lot, you know.”

“He’s also the one that got me into this mess in the first place.”

Yukito couldn’t argue with that. 

“He’s with my stuff. I made sure to leave my bag open so he could get some air. The drive’s less than two hours though. He’ll be fine.”

“That’s good. Is he worried we might run into trouble?”

Touya glanced back to the car, frowning. “That’s my assumption. He’s been acting weird lately, but he’s been tight-lipped about whatever’s bothering him. I tried to bribe him with sweets but even that didn’t work.”

“That’s worrying. Why won’t he say anything?”

He shrugged. “Who knows. I figure we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. No sense in worrying about it now.”

Yukito nodded in agreement, going to grab another pastry. He paused, staring down at the bag. “...is this bribery?”

“Huh?”

“You just said you tried to bribe him with sweets. Are you trying to bribe me into something?”

Touya laughed outright. “No, but thanks for the suggestion. It’d probably be pretty effective on you.”

Yukito’s face warmed. He wished he hadn’t said anything. “I feel like you and Eriol are trying to fatten me up sometimes.”

He snorted. “Oh trust me, I tried. It didn’t work.”

“You  _ tried _ ?”

Touya ruffled his hair, earning a cry of protest. “I’d be more worried about you eating everyone in Tomoeda out of house and home.”

“Thanks for that,” he groused. He shifted the bag to his other arm to try and put some order back into his hair, not wanting to add sugar and crumbs in the process.

“You’re welcome,” Touya answered, heading back to the car as his father locked up the house.

The four of them climbed in and Mr. Kinomoto pulled out of the driveway to start the drive. As crazy as Touya and Sakura seemed to make each other (they bickered almost incessantly the entire drive), there was something about their interaction that left Yukito wishing he had a brother or sister of his own. At any rate, it would’ve alleviated some of the loneliness brought on by his grandparents’ near constant traveling. Touya and Eriol had been doing a wonderful job of distracting him though.

By the time they pulled up to the house they were staying at, Yukito had finished the bag of pastries. He climbed out with the others, helping gather and carry everything into the house. He and Touya were sharing a room with two twin beds while Sakura and Mr. Kinomoto had their own rooms. Once everything was settled, Sakura and Mr. Kinomoto left again to go and get groceries for the duration of their stay, leaving Touya and Yukito to their own devices. The door had barely closed behind them before Kero came hurtling out of Touya’s bag.

“You almost suffocated me!”

Touya rolled his eyes. “You’re just being dramatic.”

“And how come he got all the leftovers? You could’ve given me one!”

“And wound up with crumbs all in my bag? No thanks. Besides, you already had one back before we left.”

Kero scowled, not at all mollified. 

Yukito considered him a moment before hazarding, “Touya said you’ve seemed pretty worried lately. Is something going on?”

Kero’s scowl melted into a worried frown. “What? No.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” Touya interjected.

Kero shot him a glare.

“Does it have to do with the Clow Cards?”

Kero crossed his arms, frowning harder. “I’ve already told Touya that I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I know. I just wanted to see if there was anything we could do to help anyway.”

Kero shook his head. “I’m afraid not. Thanks for offering though.”

Touya plucked him out of the air, holding him by the nape of his neck. “It’s obviously something to do with the cards. I don’t see why you think lying to us and refusing to talk about it is going to help.”

Kero flailed in his direction, his worry quickly giving way to anger. “Maybe you should try minding your own business!”

“Last I checked, the Clow Cards  _ were _ my business!”

They both glared at each other, practically growling. Yukito was about to try to break up the tension when they both froze, their heads swiveling toward the back of the house.

“Is something wrong?” Yukito asked.

“It’s a Clow Card,” Touya said, releasing Kero and starting to the back door. 

Kero settled into the hood of Yukito’s light jacket as Yukito hurried to keep up with Touya.

The area behind the house was surprisingly wooded for being so close to the beach. Touya stopped at the edge of the treeline and Yukito came to a halt beside him. 

“It’s in there,” Touya murmured. He frowned, looking to Yukito. “Maybe you should hang back?”

“What? Why?”

“It could be dangerous.”

“It’s okay, Touya. I can take care of myself.”

Touya looked like he wanted to argue, but the sound of a tree crashing to the ground further back stopped him. He ran into the forest, Yukito close on his heels. Yukito’s involvement with the card capturing process had been a point of contention ever since the incident with Mirror. He understood why Touya was concerned, but if anything the incident had just strengthened Yukito’s resolve to help Touya capture the cards as quickly as possible.

They reached the middle of the woods and Touya came to an abrupt stop. Yukito barely managed to avoid running into him. He followed his gaze, gaping as an enormous white bird struggled to try and lift itself up off of the ground, thrashing around and sending another tree falling. Touya grabbed Yukito by the arm, jerking him further back.

“What the hell is that?!” Touya demanded, gaping.

“That’s Fly!” Kero piped up, peering over Yukito’s shoulder. As he watched the bird struggle, he frowned. “...something’s wrong.”

“Obviously!” Touya snapped.

“I’m not talking about that! Just look!” he said, pointing with one paw.

Touya and Yukito looked back to the bird, watching as it continued to writhe.

“It’s trying to fly, but it can’t seem to get off the ground!” Kero continued.

“Then why the hell is it called Fly?!” Touya demanded. Still, he didn’t hesitate to awaken his staff from its dormant state, gripping it tightly as they backed out of reach of the bird’s massive wings.

“Maybe it’s hurt!” Yukito said, feeling a pang of sympathy. “Maybe we just need to help it?”

“I don’t see anything wrong with it,” Touya protested. He tried to take a step forward, but the bird’s frenzied movements grew even worse.

“Fly is a gentle card,” Kero said. “Something has to be wrong for it to be acting like this. If you try to attack it, you’re just going to scare it and make everything worse.”

“Then what the hell am I supposed to do? Ask it nicely to stop?”

Yukito hesitated only briefly before taking a step forward. Touya reached for him but he brushed his hand away. “Just...let me try something, okay?”

“Yuki! This is dangerous! You should go back to the house!”

He shook his head, taking another step forward. The bird swung its head toward him, fixing him with an intense stare. He almost faltered, but took a deep breath and continued forward. As he walked, the bird’s movements grew less panicked. By the time Yukito was within its reach, it had stopped moving entirely.

“It’s just waiting for him to get close enough to eat him!” Touya protested. “Yuki, get out of there!” He took a step forward and the bird tensed.

“Stop moving!” Kero yelled at Touya. “Just let Yukito handle it!”

“You’re both out of your fucking minds!” Still, Touya hung back.

The bird calmed once more. Some distant part of Yukito thought he should be terrified, and yet as he grew closer, all he could feel was an appreciation for the bird’s grace and beauty. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to fly. To be able to fly and then have that freedom ripped from you seemed unbearable. He came to a stop just beside the bird, tentatively lifting a hand to stroke its long neck. 

Yukito jumped as it suddenly shrank down to the size of a goose. The bird waddled closer to him, leaning against his legs. He stared down at it, dumbfounded. Touya was by his side in an instant.

“I don’t know whether to strangle you or thank you,” he groused, staring down at the bird.

It cooed softly as it rubbed its cheek against Yukito’s jean clad leg. Yukito blinked, leaning down to gently pick it up. It was far lighter than he would’ve expected.

“So what are you now, the bird whisperer?” Touya asked.

Yukito rolled his eyes, gently stroking the bird’s back. It nuzzled him one more time before Touya sealed it into its card form.

“I just had a feeling it would be okay. That’s all.”

“You’re awfully quiet,” Touya said, redirecting his attention to where Kero still sat in the hood of Yukito’s jacket.

Kero lifted out of the hood, hovering in the air beside them. He stared at Yukito with the most serious expression Yukito thought he’d ever seen on him.

“Kero?” Touya hazarded. He had to repeat himself to get Kero’s attention. “What’s wrong now? You’re looking at Yuki like you expect him to explode or something.”

“You didn’t see the Illusion Card, did you?” Kero directed at Yukito.

He shook his head. “No. Only Touya saw it. Why? Is something wrong?”

“But Fiery and Mirror got to you?”

“Yes?”

Kero crossed his arms, closing his eyes as if in deep thought.

“Don’t think too hard,” Touya drawled. “Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.”

Kero didn’t rise to the insult, which left Yukito unsettled.

“Is something wrong?” Yukito repeated.

“I can’t talk about it,” Kero hedged. “Not with you, anyway. It’s a...Cardcaptor thing.”

“Huh?”

“Just...don’t worry about it,” Kero answered, waving a dismissive paw.

How was he not supposed to worry about a cryptic statement like that? Yukito frowned as they started back toward the house. Was there something wrong with him? But if it had to do with him, wouldn’t Kero tell him?

Touya abruptly changed the subject. “So you never answered my question, Kero. If that was the Fly Card, why couldn’t it fly?”

If anything, Kero looked even more concerned than he had before. “The magic is running out.”

“What? What does that even mean?”

“What do you think it means?! I don’t think I could be any clearer about it!”

“What Touya means is that he doesn’t understand how the magic could be running out,” Yukito interjected.

Some of Kero’s ire left him and he sagged where he floated in the air. “Honestly? I don’t know. The Clow Cards and Guardians are sustained by Clow Reed’s magic. It shouldn’t be running out. Unless…”

“Unless what?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. I shouldn’t have even brought it up. It’s impossible. It’s probably just because of how much time has passed since Clow Reed died.”

“So what does it mean? Do we have a time limit to catch all the cards now?” Touya demanded. “There are still eleven of the nineteen left!”

“The ones you’ve caught so far should be fine for now,” Kero said. “They still use some of Clow Reed’s magic, but they also use a little of yours. It’s the other ones I’m worried about. I’m not necessarily saying we have to hurry, but it’d be better if you caught them sooner rather than later.”

Touya looked heavenward, groaning. “And how am I supposed to do that? It’s not like I can just hunt them all down. We can only sense them whenever they’re active and nearby.”

Kero gave a small shrug, settling back into Yukito’s hood. He was a small, warm weight against his upper back, lightly bouncing with each step Yukito took. 

“There’s a good chance it won’t be a problem much longer,” Kero said.

“Oh?” Touya demanded. “Why’s that?”

“Well…” Kero sighed. “If they’re running out of power, the Cards might panic and start activating more quickly.”

Touya stopped abruptly beside them. “ _ What _ ? So now they’re going to be activating all over the place?”

“I’m just speculating,” Kero retorted. “I can’t say for sure. The only cards I’m really in tune with are the ones under my jurisdiction! And that’s only if they’re around me.”

“What about this other Guardian you keep talking about? Can he come out of retirement and help already?”

“Don’t make jokes like that,” Kero snapped. “The last thing we need is for him to show up.”

“And why’s that?”

Kero was quiet a long moment before reluctantly offering, “Yue is the Judge.”

“The what?”

“He’ll judge whether or not you’re qualified to be our Master. Look, Touya, I’m not even supposed to be telling you that much. The only reason I’m saying it at all is because there’s something else going on here and I don’t know what it is.”

Touya rubbed his face with both hands, giving another frustrated groan. “Why does this just keep getting more complicated?”

Yukito reached over, giving his shoulder a small squeeze. “I’m sure you’ll handle everything just fine, Touya. You shouldn’t worry so much.”

Touya lowered his hands, offering him a faint smile. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Easier said than done.”

Yukito could relate. Though Kero had told him not to worry about his earlier comments, they weighed heavily on his mind for the remainder of the trip.


	16. Touya

For the most part, Touya had managed to put the conversation with Kero after catching the Fly Card out of his mind. He did his best to enjoy the rest of his time on the trip and was genuinely sorry to see the weekend end. On their way back home, they dropped Yukito off at his house before heading to theirs.

Once Touya was finished carrying everything inside, he made his way up to his room with his things. He set his bag on the desk, rolling his eyes as Kero shot out gasping for breath.

“You are so dramatic.”

Kero glowered at him in return. “I’d like to see you try to breathe in there!”

Touya ignored him, starting to unpack his things. It was late and ideally he would’ve liked to wait until tomorrow to deal with it all. Unfortunately he would be at work most of the day and he had an early start. While summer holidays meant vacation for most, for Touya they meant signing up for as many work shifts as he possibly could. Having had to quit most of his part time jobs to be a part time Cardcaptor, his college fund wasn’t growing nearly as quickly as he would’ve liked. 

The only downside with so much work was that he wouldn’t see as much of Yukito. Despite the kiss they’d shared, Touya was still trying to navigate whatever their friendship had morphed into. He had a feeling it would’ve been a lot easier without Eriol to contend with. Just thinking about him made Touya’s blood pressure spike. While he didn’t expect Yukito to make a decision quickly, especially with how close he and Eriol were, Touya wished he would hurry it up already. Waiting was stressing him out more than he would’ve liked to admit.

Things between him and Yukito hadn’t changed drastically. If anything, they were just more comfortable around each other, which resulted in more casual touching. Touya took special pleasure in the fact that Yukito seemed to be more touchy feely with him than Eriol., although whatever Eriol was doing to make Yukito blush and stammer so much was infuriating. Touya also had baked goods to contend with. Unfortunately Eriol was particularly adept in the kitchen. Touya was no slouch, but he didn’t have hours of free time to make cakes and other desserts from scratch.

“Touya.”

He blinked, looking over to Kero as he was pulled from his thoughts. Kero’s spirits had lifted for the remainder of the weekend. He’d spent the bulk of it eating sweets and napping. Lucky bastard. Seeing his expression now though made Touya realize he’d just been pretending to be over whatever had been bothering him.

“Are you finally going to talk to me about all this?” he demanded.

Kero took a seat on his desk. He motioned for Touya to sit in the desk chair. Touya crossed his arms, staring back at him. He could see a vein temporarily bulge in the stuffed animal’s forehead before Kero regained control over himself.

“Look. Have you noticed anything...odd about Yukito?”

Touya tilted his head. “Odd how?”

“Like…” Kero paused, struggling to put his thoughts into words.

Touya decided to take mercy on him. “Like how he isn’t human?”

Kero gaped at him. “What?”

He shrugged, finally taking a seat. “I’ve always known Yuki wasn’t human. I can see stuff like that, remember? Of course I don’t always know what I’m seeing.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?!”

“I figured it wasn’t important. Besides, he hasn’t broached the subject. I don’t think he knows I know.”

“What do you see when you look at him?”

Touya closed his eyes, envisioning Yukito. “He doesn’t look like a ghost. If I had to guess, I’d say he has magic of some kind. I don’t know what though. I figure if it was something he could use to help, he would’ve already. His aura reminds me of Kaho’s.”

“You’re ex?” Kero snorted. “Guess you have a type, huh?”

“Shut up,” Touya snapped, leaning back in his seat. 

The swivel chair gently creaked beneath his weight. He’d have to remember to oil it. Just one more thing to add to his extensive to do list.

Kero fidgeted, opening his mouth to say something before promptly closing it. Touya waited patiently for him to continue.

“Don’t you think it’s odd how Fly reacted to him? And how he couldn’t see Illusion?”

“I don’t know. Yuki’s got a pretty gentle nature. Maybe Fly could sense it. As for Illusion, you’re the one who said he might not have seen anything because he wasn’t expecting to.”

“It’s possible,” Kero conceded. He didn’t look like he believed it though.

“Why don’t you just spit out whatever it is you want to say? Or is it supposed to be a secret?”

“It  _ is _ supposed to be a secret. I shouldn’t have told you as much as I have already. A lot of this is stuff you’re supposed to figure out on your own in order to prove your worth in the Final Judgment.”

“Where the Yue guy judges me.”

“For the record, he would  _ kill _ me if he knew I was telling you any of this,” Kero retorted.

“Then why say it at all?”

“It’s like I said before. Something’s wrong. The Cards shouldn’t be running out of power. None of it makes any sense. Except…”

“Except?”

Kero worried his bottom lip. “It’s just a theory.”

Touya didn’t comment, instead letting the silence hang between them. He’d found saying nothing was a far better way of getting people to talk. Most people were uncomfortable with long pauses and were desperate to fill them as a result. Kero was no different.

“I think Yukito might be Yue,” Kero blurted.

Whatever Touya had expected him to say, that certainly wasn’t it. Touya’s brows lifted to his hairline. He wanted to protest, to tell Kero he was wrong, and yet…

Kero stared anxiously back at him, looking at Touya like he was a ticking time bomb. “...that’s it? You don’t have anything to say?”

“I’m thinking.”

Kero slumped where he sat, absently toying with the edge of a magazine Touya had left on the desk for him the week before. His obvious concern and discomfort only served to further convince Touya he wasn’t just blowing hot air.

“Why do you think Yukito could be Yue? Wouldn’t he have said something by now if that was the case?”

He shook his head. “If Yukito is Yue, he probably doesn’t know it.”

“You’ve lost me.”

“Yue and I are different. He draws his power from the moon while I draw mine from the sun. Because of that I can generate my own power while Yue gets his power from the Master. If there’s no Master, it’s almost like he goes into power saving mode. That means no magic and...while he’s probably in there somewhere, his False Form takes over.”

Touya grimaced at the words ‘False Form.’ “So if you’re right, what the hell does that mean for Yuki?”

Kero didn’t immediately answer. He seemed more interested in turning the magazine cover into confetti. Touya wanted to wait him out, but he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like the answer. The longer Kero stalled, the more anxious he felt.

“Kero. What does that mean for Yuki?”

“It means he’s...not real.”

“Bullshit.”

“Touya, I--”

“I don’t believe that for a second. You can’t look at Yuki and tell me he’s not a real person with real thoughts and feelings.”

“Well, yeah. But if he is Yue’s False Form, he’ll…”

“He’ll  _ what _ ?” Touya snapped, hands clenching into fists on his knees.

“If he’s Yue’s False Form, whenever it comes time for Yue to take over, Yukito will be gone.”

Touya’s hands tightened until his knuckles went white. He was caught off guard by a sudden wave of emotion. His chest felt like it had constricted and he had to make a conscious effort to keep his breathing even.

“Touya? Are you okay?”

He took slow, deep breaths, closing his eyes and counting between each one to keep from panicking.

“...Touya?”

Feeling like he’d regained some modicum of control, he ground out, “I’m not going to let Yuki disappear.”

Kero held his paws up defensively. “Hey! I could be wrong. Maybe you’re right. Maybe he just has a way with birds.”

As badly as he wanted to believe that, Touya shook his head. “You’re right. Whenever I first sensed the Clow Cards, I thought they felt similar to what Yuki gives off. I just thought it was a coincidence.”

Kero hung his head, frowning down at his lap.

“So what do we do now? Should I talk to him about it?”

He jerked his head back up. “No! You can’t talk to him about it.”

“I think he has a right to know! It’s his body.”

“It’s Yue’s body.”

Touya surged to his feet, pointing a finger just inches from his face. “Listen here, if we’re right, it’s both of theirs. You said it yourself. Yue’s probably somewhere in there. Wouldn’t that mean he’s aware of what’s been happening?”

Kero started, leaning back from him. “Probably! I don’t know. This is my False Form, but I don’t have multiple personalities.”

Touya lowered his finger, trying to force back the anger now warring with another emotion he was steadfastly ignoring. “We’ll figure something out.”

Kero nodded, gaze shifting to the window beyond him. “Touya… There’s something else.”

“I’m sure it’s just as bad if not worse than what you’ve already told me.”

Kero fidgeted uncomfortably. “The main reason I thought Yukito might be Yue is because I keep feeling Moon Magic, but only when he’s around.”

“Why didn’t you say anything before?” Touya demanded.

“I didn’t know before! As you collect more Cards, we get some of our strength back. It’s likely I didn’t realize it was him sooner because you didn’t have enough of the Cards that fall under his domain. I’m surprised his power is showing up so early though. I figured it wouldn’t be this strong until most of the cards were collected.”

Touya filed the information away, frowning when he realized there was something Kero was holding back. “And?”

“...there’s a very real chance you’re only attracted to him because some part of you is responding to a stronger magical force.”

Touya sucked in a sharp breath before he shook his head. “No.”

“Touya--”

“I’m not just attracted to Yukito because he has magic or whatever.”

“I think it’s something you should consider,” Kero protested. “I mean, the two of you didn’t start spending time together until after you became a Cardcaptor.”

Despite his protests, Touya’s stomach churned.

“I mean, did you really even notice him before that?”

“I’m going to take a walk.”

Kero blinked at the abrupt change of subject. “Touya…”

“I need some time to think about this, all right?” he snapped.

Kero flinched. “Okay. Just...be careful, all right? You might drive me crazy, but I don’t want you to get hurt by all this. You should also probably stay away from Yukito during the full moon. Yue’s magic is strongest then and it might overwhelm you.”

“I’ll take that under advisement,” Touya answered, nearly slamming the door when he left his room.

He took the stairs faster than he should have, nearly tripping as he turned the corner. Unbidden, the realization he’d first run into Yukito on the full moon hijacked his thoughts. 

“Touya?” Sakura called, staring at him from the sofa. “...are you okay?”

He didn’t answer, instead shoving his feet into his shoes and heading out the front door, closing it with equal force. He just needed some time to think. That was all. He’d get a grip on himself and then he’d come back. 

He wound up walking for hours, returning home only when his legs began to ache in protest. Kero sent him a worried look when he came back into his room. Touya ignored him and dropped onto his bed, turning his back to him.

He didn’t get much sleep that night.


	17. Yukito

With how many hours Touya had taken on, Yukito hadn’t had an opportunity to see him since the trip to the beach. Yukito had done his best since then to put Kero’s words and his own worries at the back of his mind. He kept busy, mostly completing minor repairs around the house and by spending time with Eriol.

Though Yukito had plans with Touya later in the day, Eriol had invited him over, claiming he had a surprise for him. Yukito was mildly concerned it would be another present of some kind. He didn’t feel like Eriol was trying to buy his affection, he certainly didn’t need to with how charming he was, but Yukito became more and more aware of how little he could do to repay him each time.

Reaching the gate to Eriol’s home, he buzzed in to let him know he’d arrived. The gates opened and he started down the path to the front door. As he went, Yukito took in the artfully placed trees, flowers, and shrubs that made up Eriol’s yard. He’d barely had a chance to notice it on his last and only other visit. Now the scent of roses washed over him and he slowed his steps to bask in it.

Did Eriol keep up with the garden, or was there someone else in his family who did? Come to think of it, Yukito had never seen anyone else in the home. He supposed he couldn’t really judge him for that though, particularly when his own grandparents were out more often than in.

Yukito drew to a stop, staring at a cherry blossom tree that somehow still had all its flowers. A light breeze scattered a few of the pale pink petals.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Eriol offered just behind him.

He nodded, looking back at him. “I can’t believe it still has flowers. All the other trees lost them months ago. You must have one serious green thumb.”

Eriol smiled, his gaze shifting back to the tree. “Just lucky, I guess.”

Yukito followed suit, expression softening. “It’s beautiful. I’m afraid all I really have in my yard is bamboo.”

“There’s nothing wrong with bamboo. It has a beauty all its own. You’re welcome to visit whenever you like while it’s still blooming.”

“Really? Thank you!”

Eriol took his hand, threading their fingers together. Yukito glanced down at their clasped hands, but didn’t pull away. It was another reminder of how gentle Eriol was compared to Touya. Not that he should be comparing them in the first place, but he couldn’t imagine Touya holding hands with him underneath a cherry tree.

They lingered another moment before Eriol tugged him toward the house. Yukito followed, feeling oddly at peace amongst the lush landscape surrounding them. It almost felt like coming home.

Once inside, Eriol led him back to his bedroom. Yukito’s face warmed despite himself at the memory of what had happened there before. As if he could sense his thoughts, Eriol shot him a wicked look that left his insides feeling like jelly.

The room was almost as bare as it had been before, though now there was an easel set up at one end of it, the canvas turned from them. Eriol took him around it so he could see the front of it. His breath caught as he stared at the painting that greeted him.

The figure depicted in it looked almost like an angel, though any real defining features were obscured due to his facing away from the viewer. Yukito didn’t know why he immediately assumed it was a man, particularly since the only defining features were a pair of spread wings and long white hair. A full moon shined down on the man, leaving his hair practically glowing in its light. 

“Eriol…”

“Do you like it? You seemed interested in my sketching, so I wanted to draw something for you. I’m afraid I got carried away.”

“You  _ painted _ this?” Yukito asked, taking a small step closer to better examine the subtle brush strokes.

“I did.”

“This is… This is amazing! I had no idea you were so talented! Not that I doubted you, of course, but this… It looks like it was done by a professional!”

Eriol lit up with the praise, beaming at him. “I’m so glad you think so. I like to paint and sketch in my spare time.”

“Is there anything you can’t do?” Yukito teased. “You’re a fantastic cook, an amazing gardener, and an expert painter. It’s a little intimidating, to say the least.”

He arched a brow. “Says the guy who frequently shames anyone who tries to compete with him when it comes to sports.”

Yukito’s face warmed and he waved a dismissive hand. “I’m not that good. I just enjoy helping out.”

“You’re too modest.”

“I’m sure you’re good at sports too.”

He shrugged. “I like swimming and skiing. I’d rather spend my time on other things though.”

“I can see why.”

Eriol laughed, the sound bringing a wide smile to Yukito’s face. “You really are too kind. I would have brought you the painting, but I only just finished and I’m still waiting for it to dry completely.”

“This is really for me?”

“It is. Once it’s dry and then varnished.”

“Thank you,” Yukito insisted, giving his hand a squeeze.

Eriol tugged him closer, gingerly cupping his cheek. Yukito’s breath caught a second time as he stared up at him.

“How are you feeling, Yukito?”

“What do you mean?”

Eriol’s hand almost felt as if it had warmed against his cheek. Yukito’s eyelids drooped despite himself.

“You’ve just seemed tired.”

“Only a little,” he murmured, eyes sliding closed.

“I’m worried about you.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. I’m fine.”

Eriol’s hand suddenly felt cooler against his cheek and Yukito blinked his eyes open again.

“It shouldn’t be much longer now.”

“What?”

Eriol gave him the enigmatic smile that always frustrated him and yet still sped up his heartbeat.

“I don’t want to rush you, but do you feel like you’re coming any closer to a decision as far as Touya and I are concerned?”

Guilt gnawed at him as he shifted his gaze away from him and to the wall just beyond his head.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be leading either of you on.”

“I understand it’s a big decision. I think it will become easier soon though.”

“Huh?”

Eriol didn’t answer, instead pressing his lips lightly to Yukito’s. Yukito leaned into the kiss, eyes sliding closed again. As Eriol deepened the kiss, Yukito became aware of the ring on his finger. He tried to focus on why, but his thoughts scattered as Eriol began to walk him back toward the bed.

One minute Eriol had pressed him into a seated position on it and the next, he was flat on his back, Eriol on top of him. It was all happening so fast, not that he was complaining. Eriol took his wrists, pressing them against the mattress on either side of his head before he began to trail a series of warm kisses along the side of Yukito’s throat.

Yukito tugged experimentally, but Eriol kept him immobilized. He wasn’t afraid though. He knew Eriol wouldn’t hurt him. A wave of heat washed over him, leaving him breathless. When Eriol nipped at the skin just above his pulse, he gave a startled gasp.

“Is this too much?” Eriol prompted.

He shook his head, though his attention shifted back to his hand when he swore the ring was growing uncomfortably warm. Eriol didn’t let him focus on it for long. He kissed him again, but it was more demanding this time. Some distant part of Yukito was a bit intimidated, but he ignored it in favor of opening his mouth for him.

The ring became a distant memory as Eriol proceeded to kiss him silly. Yukito’s head was swimming by the time Eriol pulled back. 

“My apologies. I have a hard time controlling myself when I’m around you.”

Yukito managed a small nod, panting softly in the aftermath. He was having difficulty stringing his thoughts together, his mind far more interested in the pressure of the  hands encircling his wrists and the tender skin Eriol had left in the wake of his bite.

“Is this unfair of me?” Eriol prompted.

“Wh-What?”

“I don’t want to unduly influence your decision or overstep any boundaries.”

Yukito thought it was a little late for that, not that he said so. Gradually he came back to himself, becoming able to view his present position more objectively. Was it unfair?

“I’m more concerned about it being unfair to you,” he admitted.

Eriol smiled, eyes crinkling. “I’ll be okay,” he said, releasing Yukito’s wrists and climbing off of him. 

Yukito felt a pang of regret as he withdrew. He sat up, belatedly realizing the door was still open. He went scarlet. Eriol followed his gaze.

“No need to worry. There’s no one else here.”

He sighed in relief and Eriol chuckled. His easygoing expression vanished a moment later, a frown coming to his face. Yukito blinked at the sudden change.

“Is something wrong?”

Eriol shook his head, climbing off of the bed. “My apologies, but I’m afraid there’s something I’ve forgotten to take care of that’s rather urgent.”

“Oh! Do you need me to go?”

“Unfortunately.”

As much as he wanted to pick up where they’d left off, Yukito nodded. He stood, starting to the door. “Thank you for having me over, Eriol.”

“It was my pleasure, Yukito. I hope to see you again soon.”

As he walked back through the gardens, Yukito couldn’t help but wonder why he’d consented to Eriol’s advances in the first place. It wasn’t that he hadn’t enjoyed himself. Far from it. But...in that moment, he’d almost felt like he was taking a backseat in his own body while someone else took the wheel. The thought left him uncomfortable and rather than dwell on it, he pushed it to the back of his mind.


	18. Eriol

It was probably for the best that he’d sensed a Clow Card. Eriol knew he was being unfair to Yukito. For one, he had two lifetimes of experience to draw on when it came to seduction. More importantly, Eriol had plenty of information to draw on regarding Yue’s preferences when it came to intimacy. He had Clow’s memories to thank for that. 

It seemed Yukito and Yue were more alike than he’d thought, judging by Yukito’s reactions. Eriol had a feeling Yukito might not have been as easily manipulated otherwise. He almost felt sorry for Touya, since he was at such a severe disadvantage.

Almost.

Yukito probably hadn’t known what had hit him. What had started out as an attempt to gauge his energy levels and to recharge the ring had turned into something else entirely. Even if he was being unfair, Eriol didn’t feel guilty about it. One thing he had in common with Clow was that he wasn’t afraid to be selfish. Yukito and Yue would be better off with him anyway. He had more than enough power to sustain them.

When he’d briefly deactivated the ring before, he’d been surprised by how little magic was left in Yukito. He’d been on the brink of unconsciousness before Eriol had reactivated the ring.

Thankfully it wouldn’t be much longer now. From what Eriol could determine, Touya had Windy, Fiery, Jump, Flower, Wood, Illusion, Mirror, and Fly. Meanwhile, he had Glow, Maze, Dark, Watery, Shadow, Erase, Light, and Shield in his own possession. That only left Sword, Thunder, and Earthy.

When he’d decided to collect the Clow Cards, Eriol hadn’t expected much in the way of competition from Touya. He had Clow Reed’s magic at his disposal, as well as his extensive knowledge of the Cards. What he hadn’t anticipated was that Touya would encounter so many before he could capture them himself. 

As he approached the location of the Clow Card, Eriol was pleased to sense Touya was too far away to reach it before him. It should be simple enough to capture the Card and disappear before Touya arrived. He preferred to keep Touya in the dark as far as his involvement was concerned.

Eriol rounded the corner, coming face to face with Thunder. Judging by the lack of damage and power outages, it had only just activated. He came to a stop, his staff appearing in his hand. The electric beast lowered its head, looking as if it intended to charge at him. Thunder sent a burst of electricity at him, which he deflected easily with Shield.

Thunder was one of the more aggressive cards. It likely would have proved challenging for Touya. Eriol didn’t intend to give him a chance to find out for certain.

He watched dispassionately as Thunder sent a stronger burst of electricity toward him. He summoned Shadow, keeping Shield in place. Thunder gave a soundless snarl as it began to back away. Eriol smiled.

“You know what to do.”

Shadow left the safety of Shield, bursting out into a wall of darkness. Thunder was too slow to react and wound up completely enveloped. The light it gave off was entirely obscured by Shadow. Eriol lifted his staff, reciting the incantation before driving it toward the two Cards.

Both of the Cards became amorphous before bursting into streams of light that returned them to their Card forms. Eriol wrote his name on Thunder before tucking the Cards and his staff out of sight. He turned to start back home when he heard the sound of pounding feet.

Touya appeared from around the corner, skidding to a stop when he saw him. He didn’t say anything at first. Eriol felt him reach out with his magic, trying to locate Thunder. He kept his own magic shielded. How on earth had Touya reached him so quickly from across town? Had he underestimated him?

Touya finally turned the full of his attention on him, his eyes narrow and body tense. He looked remarkably like Thunder, ready to attack but entirely unprepared for what stood in front of him.

“You!”

Eriol tilted his head, offering him a smile. “Good afternoon, Touya.”

“What are you doing here?”

Eriol kept his expression open and friendly, or as friendly as he was able to manage as far as Touya was concerned. Did he really think he would give himself up so easily? Not that Touya had any idea who he was or what he’d done.

“I was walking. You look flustered. Is something wrong?”

Touya glared at him. Eriol took in the fast food uniform he wore. It looked as if Touya had been at one of his numerous part time jobs. It really was ridiculous how many places he worked. How he had time to capture the Cards and court Yukito was beyond him.

Touya didn’t answer. Eriol forced himself not to tense as Touya directed his magic at him, trying and failing to sense anything. He wasn’t strong enough to get past Eriol’s defenses. He never would be.

Rather than relax, Touya only seemed to bristle further. Eriol’s mask almost slipped in surprise, but he remained calm. There was no way Touya could sense his magic.

“I thought you and Yuki were hanging out today,” Touya retorted.

“We did. He came by my home earlier.”

“Where is he now?”

Eriol arched a brow. “I wasn’t aware I was his keeper.” It was also his understanding that Touya could locate him easily enough with his magic.

He felt Touya’s magic once more. Touya’s head swiveled in the direction of Yukito’s house before he returned his full attention to Eriol.

“What exactly do you want from him?” he demanded, catching Eriol off guard.

“What do you mean? I thought I had made my intentions clear.”

Some of the hostility left Touya’s posture, though he still looked poised to jump into action at a moment’s notice. “Yeah, you keep saying you want to date him.”

“Exactly.”

“But is that really what you want?”

Eriol paused, eyes briefly widening before he schooled his expression. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“When you look at him, yeah I see affection, but I also see something that looks more like possessiveness. At the end of the day, I want what’s best for Yuki. I want him to be happy. If you’re just out to... _ collect _ him or whatever, maybe you should back off.”

Eriol’s fists clenched at his sides. His magic threatened to swell up and he had to rein in his temper to keep it from doing so. He didn’t  _ have _ a temper. What was wrong with him all of a sudden?

“You think I want to  _ collect _ him?” he bit out.

“I know you do.”

“You don’t know the first thing about me, Kinomoto. Perhaps you should consider the source of your own affection for Yukito. Is it  _ genuine _ ?”

Touya jerked as if he’d been slapped. Eriol felt a small thrill to see the calculated blow so well received. Clearly Touya had doubts. Eriol couldn’t say for certain if Touya had been attracted to Yukito in the first place due to his Moon magic. Maybe he was. It would serve him right for doubting Eriol’s intentions.

Touya shook the accusation off, his magic spiking as he began to lose control over himself. He wasn’t even strong enough to prevent that sort of thing from happening? At any rate, Eriol had no doubt he would get a laugh out of Touya’s attempt at the final judgment. He was woefully unprepared to go up against Yue.

“My feelings are genuine,” he snapped, though Eriol could tell he wasn’t entirely sure by the way he’d reacted.

“Then may the best man win.”

Touya set his jaw, eyes flashing. “This isn’t a fucking contest! Yuki isn’t some prize for us to fight over! At the end of the day, all that’s important is that he winds up with the person he likes most!”

The person he likes most? Eriol stared back at him, stunned. Touya didn’t care whether or not Yukito wound up choosing him? He found that hard to believe. He tried to look for the lie in his words, his tone, or his posture and couldn’t find it. The realization he was telling the truth left Eriol feeling oddly hollow inside.

Did he want Yukito to be with the person he liked most? If that were the case, would he be so determined to beat Touya? Yukito had liked Touya the most before. While neither of them knew that, Eriol did. Was he pursuing Yukito for the wrong reasons? Was he more concerned about his own happiness than Yukito’s? 

Even if he was, he didn’t think Touya had the power to sustain Yue and Yukito. Especially not if he won the Final Judgment. He’d have to transform all the Cards quickly due to how little magic they held now. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t make Yukito just as happy as he had been with Touya before. The Yukito now was different from the Yukito then. The same held true for Yue.

Eriol had to take several deep breaths to regain control over himself. What the hell was wrong with him? Was Touya so adept at pushing his buttons that he could make him lose control not once but twice in a single conversation?

“I want what’s best for Yukito in the end and that isn’t you,” he finally answered.

Touya didn’t rise to the bait this time. He didn’t answer at all, instead turning and starting back the way he’d come. Somehow that infuriated Eriol more than if he had managed to come up with an insult.

“You should be careful about who you make enemies with, Kinomoto,” Eriol called after him.

If Touya heard him, he gave no indication.


	19. Touya

Even with a late lunch rush, Touya hadn’t been able to get Eriol’s words out of his head. The smug asshole had riled him up despite his best efforts to ignore what he’d said. It didn’t help he’d already been worrying about whether or not his feelings for Yukito were genuine. In addition to worrying about whether or not his friend was a False Form, because why should anything be straightforward or easy.

Touya spent most of the afternoon trying and failing not to compare his feelings for Yukito to his feelings for Kaho. With Kaho it had all been stolen kisses and clandestine meetings. Touya had gotten a rush out of it. Their relationship had developed quickly. He’d been devastated when she’d left him.

With Yukito… Touya hadn’t had that same instant moment of attraction. Hell, he hadn’t even noticed Yukito until the night he’d run into him. He could still remember the upset look on his face so clearly. It had sent his protective instincts into overdrive. He hadn’t even realized he’d liked Yukito until the day he kissed him. And that’s all it had been. One kiss.

Touya was physically attracted to Yukito. Of that much he had no doubt. It wasn’t just physical attraction either. As much as he appreciated Yukito’s large brown eyes and his athleticism, he also loved how Yukito always saw the best in people and how he was always ready to help those in need. His ever present smile was infectious. Touya couldn’t remember smiling as much before he’d started spending time with him.

That all had to mean something, didn’t it?

Touya’s walk home passed in a blur, along with the rest of the afternoon. Before he knew it, Yukito was standing on his doorstep. He let him in, watching as he took off his shoes before entering the rest of the house. There was something graceful about the way he moved, but was it inhuman?

“Touya?”

He blinked, Yukito’s voice pulling him out of his thoughts. “Huh?”

“Is everything okay? You had this faraway look on your face. If you’re tired, we can always hang out another time.”

He shook his head. “I’m fine. C’mon,” he said, leading him toward the kitchen.

Yukito trailed after, frowning when he saw the set table. “...I’m not interrupting your dinner, am I?”

“No. The monster is out eating with one of her friends and my dad’s out of town. I figured you’d be hungry so I went ahead and made an early dinner.”

His heartbeat quickened at the wide smile Yukito gave him. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know I didn’t. Just sit down and eat, okay?”

He nodded, ignoring the command and helping Touya carry the dishes over instead. Only then did he sit down, easily putting away three fourths of what Touya had prepared. He’d expected as much and had made four servings just in case. They still somehow finished eating at the same time.

Was Yukito always so hungry because he was eating for two?

“That was great, Touya! Thank you so much!”

“No problem.”

He didn’t bother arguing as Yukito gathered up the empty dishes. They headed into the kitchen and Yukito washed while he dried.

Did magical beings do dishes? He’d known Yukito wasn’t human. Still, the way Kero talked, Yue was a force to be reckoned with. Sure, Kero helped out around the house every so often, but that seemed different somehow. It was hard to be intimidated or impressed by a glorified stuffed animal.

“Touya?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you sure you want me to stay?”

Touya frowned, setting the last dish in the cabinet. Rather than answer, he took Yukito by the arm, tugging him toward the stairs. Yukito made a soft, startled sound, but moved with him. Was it just his imagination, or was Yukito blushing?

“Touya?”

“I’m not going to answer the same question twice, Yuki.”

Yukito nodded, heading upstairs with him. Touya didn’t release him until they’d reached his bedroom. Kero greeted them a little too enthusiastically, but Touya didn’t think Yukito  noticed.

There had to be some way to figure this out. Maybe then Touya could stop agonizing over the possibility his best friend was just a front for some creature like Kero. Then he could just agonize about whether or not he was genuinely attracted to him instead. Yukito had a past, didn’t he? He had memories and he had grandparents.

Had Touya ever met his grandparents?

“What would you like to do tonight, Touya?”

“You wanna go for a run?”

Yukito tilted his head. “A run? I didn’t bring any clothes to change into.”

“You can borrow some of mine. It’s nice out and I’m feeling restless. You like running, don’t you?”

“Sure.”

Touya ignored the suspicious look Kero shot him as he rummaged through his dresser, taking out two sets of workout clothes. Without warning, he threw Yukito’s at him with a bit more force than necessary. Yukito’s eyes widened, but he managed to catch the clothes regardless.

Did that prove anything?

Touya faced him as he began to undress. Yukito really was blushing this time, suddenly interested in just about anything else in the room.

“Yuki.”

He turned back to him, the color on his cheeks growing darker. Touya was only in his boxers at this point. Yukito kept his eyes firmly fixed on his face.

“Yes, Touya?”

“Am I making you uncomfortable? Your head looks like it might explode.”

If possible, he went even redder. “N-No.”

“Then get dressed,” Touya said, tugging on his clothes.

Though he turned to give Yukito the illusion of privacy, Touya kept an unobtrusive eye on him. His libido kicked in as Yukito stripped down. They’d undressed in front of each other before. Why did now seem to be so different?

Touya took in his pale skin, noting what he could see was unblemished. Was Yukito too pale? Then again, Sakura’s friend Tomoyo was pretty pale too. He hadn’t sensed anything unusual the few times he’d been around her. Some distant part of him noted Sakura had become friends with Tomoyo around the same time he’d become friends with Yukito.

There was nothing overly weird about how Yukito looked. Sure the absence of any scars whatsoever was odd, and the fact he could eat nonstop without gaining a pound made Touya hate him a little, but still. He knew other people who didn’t have scars and that could eat whatever they wanted. Not that Touya even knew what he was looking for. Kero hadn’t exactly clued him in on what Yue looked like aside from mentioning he could pass for a human.

If Yukito wasn’t Yue, what was he? Touya had never given it much thought before. It hadn’t mattered then. Now it did.

Yukito finished, straightening up and giving Touya an almost shy smile. “Ready?”

“Yeah. We’ll be back, Kero,” he said as he led Yukito downstairs and out of the house.

Touya started slow to warm up, Yukito matching his pace.

“Hey. When are your grandparents going to be back in town?”

Yukito blinked. “Um… I’m not sure. Last time I talked to them, they said they were going to extend their vacation a little longer. They’re in Europe right now. Must be nice to be retired, huh? Why do you ask?”

“I just realized I’ve never met them, but you’ve met my dad and my sister.”

“Oh! I’ll let you know when I know, okay? I’m sure they’d love to meet you.”

Touya nodded, gradually picking up his pace. He watched Yukito out of the corner of his eye as he matched it. Unsurprising since he knew Yukito was athletic. Yukito was shorter than him though.

Touya panted for breath after they’d been running for a few minutes. He was going as fast as he could now without wearing himself out. Beside him, Yukito’s breathing hadn’t changed. Touya was about to switch things up again when he suddenly got the sensation that something was wrong.

He came to a stop, reaching out with his senses. He was always aware of Sakura’s location and emotional state, whether or not he actively thought about her. For a moment, he’d felt a spike of fear from her and then… He couldn’t really describe it. One minute he could sense her emotions and the next he couldn’t. His first thought was she was unconscious, but that didn’t seem right.

“Touya?” Yukito hazarded, having stopped a few feet ahead of him.

“Something’s wrong with Sakura.”

His eyes widened in alarm. “Where is she?”

“Back home,” Touya said once he’d zeroed in on her specific location.

Yukito didn’t hesitate, instead immediately running in the direction of the Kinomoto residence. Touya started after him, but after several minutes, Yukito had a significant lead on him. Touya lost sight of him shortly after.

By the time Touya arrived home, his lungs were burning and he was struggling to catch his breath. He sensed Sakura and Yukito in the backyard and he went around the house, legs threatening to give out under him in protest. He didn’t think he’d ever run so fast in his life.

Touya rounded the corner, taking in the scene in front of him. Yukito was standing at the far edge of the yard, looking completely unaffected by their mad dash back. He was barely even sweating, from what Touya could tell. Meanwhile, Sakura had her back to the house, a blank look on her face. She held a pink sword in her hands.

“Touya! Is it a Clow Card?” Yukito demanded.

_Shouldn’t you know?_ Touya thought, though he didn’t say it. “Yeah, it is.”

Kero shot down from Touya’s bedroom window, looking worried. “Touya! Look out!” he shouted.

Sakura had lunged toward him, swinging the sword in his direction. Touya barely managed to dodge in time. The sword sliced cleanly through one of the beams holding up the carport, making the structure lean drunkenly toward the weak point.

“What the hell is going on?!” Touya demanded.

“She’s been possessed by Sword! She can cut through anything!”

“Sakura doesn’t know how to use a sword!”

“That doesn’t matter!” Kero retorted. “Sword is doing everything. Sakura’s just along for the ride.”

“What the hell am I supposed to do?” he demanded, dodging again.

“You have to get it away from her!”

Because that sounded easy…

“Touya!” Yukito shouted.

“What?”

“If I distract her, do you think you could get the sword out of her hands?”

The plan made sense, but Touya found himself hesitating. What if Yukito got hurt? Even if he wasn’t human, could he still die?

Sakura swung at him again and Yukito didn’t wait for an answer before he rushed forward. He managed to tap her on the shoulder, which led her to lurch in his direction instead. For a second, Touya thought she’d hit him, but Yukito jumped back unharmed.

The entirety of her attention shifted to Yukito and her attacks grew more aggressive. Whatever Yukito was, Touya was just glad he was fast.

Touya activated his staff, briefly running through his eight cards in his head. He brought out Windy with a shout of his incantation. If Sakura was aware of anything happening around her, she gave no indication as she steadily herded Yukito toward the back of the house in an attempt to corner him.

“Windy! Restrain her!”

“That’s not going to work!” Kero shouted.

“What?! Why wouldn’t it?”

Windy swept around Sakura, forming into a ball that surrounded her. Touya was about to tell Kero he didn’t know what he was talking about when she cut right through the barrier around her.

Yukito jerked back in surprise, but was too late. He cried out as Sakura immediately swung at him again. The sword cut into his upper arm in a single, fluid motion. Touya had no doubt it would have sliced cleanly through if Yukito had moved any slower. There was a very brief spray of blood as the sword passed through his flesh, the droplets flung by the velocity of the sword.

“Yuki!” Touya shouted, running toward them.

Touya wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting. Blood was quickly soaking through the left sleeve of Yukito’s white t-shirt, but he recovered quickly. When Sakura went to strike again, he didn’t run away. Instead he dodged the sword and rushed her with inhuman speed, grabbing the arm that held the sword with his right hand. Sakura tried to jerk free.

“Touya!”

Touya was there in an instant, feeling a twinge of guilt as he hit Sakura’s immobilized arm. The burst of pain made her drop the sword as if she’d been burned. She wasn’t upright for long though, her eyes sliding closed as she fainted. Yukito caught her before she hit the ground.

As badly as he wanted to check on them both, Touya forced his attention to the task at hand. He brought up his staff before swinging it toward the sword. “Return to your true form, Clow Card!”

He felt a surge of relief as Sword broke apart and reformed into its Card form. His relief was short-lived as he knelt beside Yukito and Sakura. Yukito looked up at him, somehow managing to smile.

“She’ll be okay, Touya. She’s just sleeping.”

Touya nodded, grimacing at the bruise already forming where he’d struck her. “We need to get you to a hospital, Yuki.”

“It looks worse than it is,” Yukito insisted. “Why don’t you take care of Sakura and I’ll head over there? I’m sorry about your shirt, Touya.”

“Dammit, Yuki!”

Yukito jerked back at the fury in his voice, eyes widening.

“I don’t care about the fucking shirt!”

He continued to stare at him, looking stunned.

“Just put some pressure on it,” Touya snapped, pulling his own shirt over his head.

It wasn’t ideal but beggars couldn’t be choosers. He pressed the shirt into Yuki’s right hand before picking up Sakura.

“I’m going to put her inside and have Kero keep an eye on her. Then I’m taking you to the hospital. Got it?”

Yukito nodded, looking like he wanted to protest. Touya was glad for Yukito’s sake that he didn’t say anything else. He was having a hard time controlling his temper as it was. He wasn’t mad at Yukito though. He was mad at himself.

Touya waited until he saw Yukito press the shirt to his wound before he carried Sakura inside. He set her gently on the couch and Kero settled on the back of it, nodding to him. Touya hurried back outside. Yukito was still sitting where he’d left him, though his expression made it look like he was a million miles away.

“Yuki.”

He snapped out of it and turned to him. He made to stand on his own but Touya was there in an instant, helping him up.

“I’m okay, Touya. Really. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Like hell I don’t,” Touya ground out.

It was only now that his heart rate had begun to slow to something resembling its normal pace. He still felt like there was a hand clenched around his heart regardless.

“That was reckless,” Touya continued as he led him toward the street.

His motorcycle would have been faster, but the hospital wasn’t far and he didn’t want to risk Yuki passing out or something and falling off. He’d carry him if he had to. Why had he bought a motorcycle in the first place? Right then he found himself fervently wishing he’d saved for longer and bought a car instead.

“She’s your sister, Touya,” Yukito said, as if that explained everything.

Maybe it did. Touya still wanted to strangle him for putting himself in harm’s way.

“She could’ve killed you.”

“Touya, I’m _fine_.”

“You were cut by a sword that my sister was possessed by. You aren’t _fine_.”

Yukito laughed and Touya stared at him as if he’d grown a second head.

“What the hell is so funny?”

Yukito only laughed harder in answer. Touya glared at him as they continued down the sidewalk. Eventually Yukito regained control over himself, tears of mirth sparkling in the corners of his eyes.

“It sounds so silly, doesn’t it?” he asked. “It’s not funny, but that’s why it’s funny.”

Maybe he’d lost more blood than Touya had thought. When he didn’t say anything, Yukito continued.

“I just mean that it sounds like a sentence that never should have been strung together in the first place.”

“You’ve lost your mind,” Touya retorted, though there was a faint smile on his face now.

Why was Yukito the one putting him at ease? Shouldn’t he have been comforting Yukito instead?

Yukito was still in high spirits when they reached the hospital. Touya sank into the first chair he saw as Yukito was led back to have his injury seen to. It was only then that Touya realized he hadn’t put on another shirt. The nurses seemed to have noticed though, judging by the amount of giggling he heard and the quick glances they sent his way. He steadfastly ignored them as he waited for Yukito to come back.

 

**\---**

 

By the time they made it back to his house, Touya was exhausted and yet oddly energized. As badly as he wanted to lay down, every time Yukito glanced at him or smiled, he felt a little more awake. Sakura was up when they stepped inside and she waved at them from where she was seated on the couch. Touya forced himself not to grimace when he saw her bruise.

“Hey,” he offered, not adding one of his usual taunts. She’d been through enough already. He’d give her at least a day’s reprieve.

“Hey, Touya. Yukito,” she offered, nodding to them both. “Touya! Do you see this?” she asked, holding out the arm with the bruise.

He flinched. “Geeze.”

“I know! I guess I just ran into something. It’s always the little bumps you don’t notice that lead to the bad bruises.”

“Guess so. Does it hurt?”

She shrugged. “It’s not that bad. It’ll be gone in a few days.” Her gaze shifted to Yukito, eyes widening at the bandage on his arm. “Are you okay?”

Yukito laughed it off. “Oh, I’m fine. Just clumsy.”

She laughed with him before settling back onto the couch, redirecting her attention to the television show with all the castles she was obsessed with. Touya shook his head, but was smiling as he led the way upstairs. He closed his bedroom door behind himself and Yukito. Kero was in his face in an instant.

“Hey! Sakura’s fine. She woke up so I had to go upstairs. What about Yukito?”

Touya pointed to Yukito. “Why don’t you ask him?”

Kero sighed in relief. “So it wasn’t anything serious? I mean, you don’t look any paler than usual.”

Yukito tilted his head. “I look pale?”

“Have you really never noticed?” Touya prompted.

He shook his head. “Not really, no.”

Touya snorted, moving to where Yukito’s clothes had been left neatly folded at the foot of his bed. He handed them over and Yukito beamed.

“Thanks, Touya. I guess I should change and get out of your hair.”

Touya shot him a look. Kero glanced between the two of them before he drifted to the open window and outside.

“Where’s he going?” Yukito asked, frowning. “Did I say something wrong?”

Touya felt grateful to the stuffed animal for once. He crossed the space between them, cupping Yukito’s cheek in his hand. Yukito blinked up at him.

“Touya?”

He didn’t tell him to shut up this time. Instead he leaned in, pressing their lips firmly together. He’d meant for it to be a chaste kiss, but the anxiety and gratitude he’d been holding onto for the past few hours won out. He shoved Yukito up against the wall as he claimed his mouth.

Yukito seemed briefly taken off guard, but he was quick to recover. He returned the kiss with equal fervor. Touya was careful with his injured arm as he picked Yukito up. The other boy made a startled sound against his lips, eyes widening.

He was lighter than Touya expected, making it easy to carry him over to the bed. He deposited Yukito there, climbing over him. Yukito stared up at him, lips slightly parted in surprise. He looked appropriately disheveled, which sent a burst of heat through Touya.

“Touya?” he hazarded.

Touya reached down, gently running his fingers through Yukito’s hair. Yukito leaned into his touch, his eyes sliding closed.

“You’re not in my hair. I am sure I want you to stay. Fuck, Yuki. You put yourself in danger to save Sakura. Why the hell would I push you away?”

Yukito bit his bottom lip, briefly worrying the skin there before he stopped himself. “...because I’m not being fair to you or Eriol?”

Touya rolled his eyes. “We’re all grownups, you know. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t know what you see in the guy, but I’m not going to tell you how you’re supposed to feel.”

Yukito opened his eyes, staring at the far wall. “I just…”

When he didn’t continue, Touya forced himself to stay quiet rather than hurry him.

“The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that my feelings for you are stronger, Touya.”

Touya felt a rush of pleasure at the declaration. Still… “But?”

“I like Eriol. He’s sweet and I really enjoy spending time with him. I feel more like he’s my friend though. Except…” He hesitated before forcing himself to continue, “There’s part of me that reacts to his advances regardless. It’s like I can’t think straight when he’s close to me. Like there’s another part of me entirely that takes over.”

Touya froze.

Yukito gave a self-deprecating smile. “I sound crazy, don’t I? Maybe I am crazy.”

“You’re not crazy. You’re just...Yuki.”

He turned to face him and tilted his head, careful that he didn’t move it far enough to disengage Touya’s fingers. When he didn’t say anything, Touya continued.

“Do you feel like that when you’re with me?”

“No. It’s different with you. I don’t know why it’s like that with Eriol.”

Touya had a guess.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” Touya asked. “Do you want me to stop?”

He gave a small shake of his head, smiling up at him.

The lingering tension filling him dissipated and Touya settled back over him, resuming their kiss. Yukito leaned up into it, face flushed. Touya hesitated only briefly before he shifted to slide Yukito’s shirt up and over his head, ensuring he didn’t jostle his arm in the process. Yukito’s eyes widened.

“This okay?”

He nodded. It was a relief for Touya to no longer have to look at the blood stained sleeve. He shifted, absently running his fingers along Yukito’s side. Yukito shivered, breath catching. Encouraged, Touya let his hand drift lower, coming to a stop at Yukito’s hip.

“You’re beautiful, you know? Never thought I’d call a guy beautiful.”

Yukito chuckled. “Should I be offended?”

“No. Yuki…”

“Touya?”

“I want more than this.”

Yukito fell quiet, brows furrowing.

“I’m sorry,” Touya said, moving to climb off him.

Yukito caught his arm, shaking his head. “No. I want more too.”

“You’re sure?”

“Touya. I am half naked in your bed with you straddling me. I would’ve said something a while ago if I had a problem with any of this.”

Touya rolled his eyes, leaning back to ensure he wasn’t putting too much weight on Yukito.. Yukito’s eyes moved appreciatively over his chest.

Touya finished undressing them. Yukito didn’t look away like he had before when they’d changed to go running. Touya supposed he felt he had permission to now, so he no longer felt the need to hide his interest.

Touya thought he would feel more self-conscious than he did at present. Not because he was uncomfortable with how he looked, but because he’d never made it this far with anyone else. Kaho had thought he was too young, even if they had made out a few times. Sure, Touya had a few scars but they’d never bothered him before and they certainly didn’t now.

Settling back over Yukito, Touya resumed their kiss, rocking their hips together in the process. Yukito gasped, lifting his hips to meet Touya’s.

One kiss bled into another and before Touya knew it, he felt like he was on the edge of release. Yukito was right there with him, body tense as they rocked almost frantically against each other. Touya didn’t have time to pull away before he came, spilling across Yukito’s stomach. Yukito came almost immediately after with a soft moan.

They panted together in the aftermath, breath mingling. Despite his earlier concerns, Touya felt like the last puzzle piece in his life had fallen into place. He wasn’t attracted to Yukito because of his magic. No, he didn’t feel the same about him as he had about Kaho, but that was because they were two different people. You couldn’t love two separate people the same way.

Yukito smiled almost shyly up at him in the aftermath and Touya ducked his head, chuckling.

“What’s so funny?” Thankfully he didn’t look offended.

“Just me being stupid.”

Yukito arched a brow, but Touya shook his head, not bothering to answer. Touya tensed when his eyes suddenly went wide.

“What? What is it?”

“...you don’t think Sakura heard anything, do you?”

_Shit_. How the hell could he have forgotten his little sister was just downstairs? Maybe Touya was the one losing his mind. They sat there in silence, listening. The only sounds came from the television downstairs and the birds outside.

Touya snorted softly, climbing off of him. He wiped himself off with Yukito’s borrowed t-shirt and pulled on his boxers. “Stay here a sec.”

Yukito nodded, propping himself up to stare after him.

Touya ducked out of the room, grabbing a damp washcloth before he came back in, handing it over to Yukito. Yukito thanked him as he mopped himself up. Touya took it from him, depositing it in the hamper along with the borrowed shorts Yukito had been wearing. He threw the ruined shirt into the trash.

“You want to stay over tonight?”

Yukito’s face lit up. “You’re sure you don’t--”

“Don’t even say it,” Touya answered, throwing Yukito’s boxers to him. “I’ll give you something to sleep in. For now, you should probably go wash up before Sakura decides she needs to come upstairs. I’ll change the sheets.”

Yukito pulled his boxers on, favoring his left arm as he climbed out of bed. Touya handed him some pajamas, staring fondly after him as he snuck out of the room and to the bathroom.

Kero didn’t resurface until after Touya had changed the sheets. When he did, he didn’t say anything, instead floating over to the desk to resume reading his magazine about local cuisine.

At least that was one conversation they didn’t have to have.

As Touya waited for Yukito to come back, he considered the past few hours, cataloguing everything Yukito seemed to be capable of. Grace, speed, strength… He hadn’t had any doubts Yukito wasn’t human before, but if he had they would’ve been long gone by now. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder how their burgeoning relationship would impact things.

Especially if Yukito really was Yue.


	20. Yukito

He had to tell Eriol. Yukito knew he shouldn’t feel guilty. He hadn’t led Eriol on, but now that he’d made a decision he didn’t want to upset Eriol further by making him wait to find out. They hadn’t had plans to see each other that day. Yukito had considered calling ahead just in case, but he worried he would lose his nerve. 

Touya wanted him to take it easy after everything that had happened the day before with the Sword Card. Honestly, Yukito felt fine aside from his arm being a bit sore. He’d always been a fast healer.

As he approached the gates, he wound up face to face with Eriol who was in the process of leaving. Eriol’s eyes briefly widened before he smiled. “Yukito. This is a pleasant surprise.” 

Yukito could tell the instant he caught sight of the bandage on his arm. Eriol set his jaw, standing a little straighter.

“What happened? Were you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” Yukito insisted as Eriol opened the gates and stepped out.

Eriol was at his side in an instant, his fingers gently coming to rest on Yukito’s left arm as he studied the bandage. “What happened?” he repeated.

“Nothing. Really. I’m just a little clumsy.”

The look Eriol sent him implied he didn’t believe that for a second. Still, the tight set of his shoulders eased though he didn’t release Yukito. Yukito felt that same odd pull toward him, but forcefully tamped down on it.

“Did you come here for the painting?”

“What? Ah…” Yukito felt a twinge of guilt. “No. I was hoping to talk to you. I’m sorry. I should have called ahead.”

“It’s all right. I’m not in a hurry. What did you want to talk about?”

Yukito didn’t answer immediately, but Eriol’s face fell regardless.

“I see.”

“You do?”

“I can’t think of what else you’d want to talk to me about, Yukito.”

Yukito flinched. “I’m sorry. I hope we can still be friends.”

Eriol didn’t answer at first, a thoughtful expression on his face. His smile didn’t reach his eyes when it came. “Don’t worry, Yukito. I’m sure everything will settle into place soon.”

He tilted his head at the phrasing. “You aren’t mad?”

“Of course not. I couldn’t be mad at you.” He opened his mouth to say something else only to snap it closed, head jerking back toward the road.

“What is it? Is something wrong?”

“It looks like things will be settling into place sooner than I expected,” Eriol said, starting down the sidewalk at a brisk pace. 

Yukito stared after him, brows furrowed.

“You might as well come along,” Eriol called back.

He hesitated only a moment longer before he jogged to catch up. “What’s wrong?”

“A Clow Card.”

Yukito froze, eyes going wide. 

Eriol didn’t stop, instead picking up his pace into a brisk jog. Yukito found himself having to run to keep up with him once he’d gotten over his shock.

“You...know about them?”

“I do,” Eriol said, cutting across the street and heading toward town.

A million questions sprang into Yukito’s mind. He didn’t know where to begin. How long had Eriol known? How did he know? Did he have magic like Touya? Was he collecting the Cards too?

He didn’t get a chance to ask. As soon as they turned onto the street, they nearly collided with what looked like a mountain of dirt. Yukito gaped up at it. Eriol didn’t so much as blink.

As they went around the mound, Eriol muttered something to himself, a staff suddenly appearing in his hands. Unlike Touya’s his was gold in color with what looked like an asymmetrical sun on the end. He was a Cardcaptor too? Yukito wanted to ask, but he felt the question was redundant at this point.

More of the mounds sprang up around them, threatening people and buildings alike. Yukito did his best to keep up with Eriol, who was sprinting toward one of the mounds in particular. As they went, Yukito realized none of the mounds appeared close to Eriol, leaving a wide berth around him. Could the Card sense he had magic? 

The sun above was quickly becoming blocked out due to how many mounds there were now. Stray flecks of dirt rained down from above, falling into Yukito’s hair and threatening to get into his eyes. He held a hand up to his brow to try and keep his vision clear.

Up ahead, Eriol came to a halt. Yukito stopped just a few feet from him, watching with wide eyes as he took out a Clow Card, activating it.

“Erase!” Eriol shouted.

Almost instantly, the mounds around them vanished. All except for the largest, which was directly in front of Eriol. He threw another card into the air, activating it with his staff.

“Watery!”

The Card activated, revealing a woman who looked remarkably like Fiery. She burst out, encircling the mound in front of them. The dirt comprising it quickly turned to mud, the mound collapsing in on itself as a result. Yukito sucked in a sharp breath as its velocity increased. They were going to be covered. Even he couldn’t run fast enough to escape the speed and fury of a mudslide. Still, they had to try.

“Eriol! We have to--”

He fell silent as Eriol brought his staff forward toward the dissolving mound. “Return to me, Earthy!”

The mud redirected itself, forming into spires that all shot together to form the Clow Card. Eriol plucked it out of the air, looking back to Erase, which had not yet returned to its Card form. Erase shot up into the sky at a look from Eriol. Yukito tried to track it with his eyes, but it quickly left his range of vision.

The street was surprisingly deserted despite the time of day, most people having fled when the mounds had begun to appear. The lack of noise made the pounding footsteps approaching them all the louder. Yukito turned, relieved to see Touya. Spotting Eriol, Touya came to an abrupt stop.

Had Touya known? Judging from his stunned expression, Yukito didn’t think so. Kero flew up behind him, the entirety of his attention on Eriol. Kero didn’t get the chance to study him for long as his wings burst out from his back, growing almost comically large as they encircled him. Moments later, a winged lion stood in his place.

“You!” Kero snarled, fur bristling as he glared at Eriol. 

If Touya was surprised by the transformation, he gave no indication. Yukito gaped, struggling to process everything he’d seen in the past half hour. His entire world felt as if it had been turned on its head. It had been hard enough to accept there was magic in the world, and now Eriol was part of it too? Why hadn’t he ever said anything? Had he known Yukito and Touya knew?

Eriol looked placidly back at Kero. 

“Are you Clow Reed?”

“What?” Touya demanded, turning to Kero.

“Clow Reed?” Yukito said, voice soft. “I thought you said he was dead, Kero.” 

His head felt like it was spinning, his thoughts growing too jumbled for him to parse through. Yukito needed to sit down. He edged toward the curb, dropping heavily onto it. Eriol’s attention shifted only briefly to him.

“In a sense,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “The Clow Reed you knew died that day. I just happen to have his memories and magic.”

Kero shook his head. “This doesn’t make any sense!”

Eriol’s smile was cold. “I had a different part to play in all this, but your last candidate failed, Kero.”

Kero stilled. Touya looked to him, brows furrowed. 

“What’s he talking about, Kero? What candidate?”

“Keroberos selects the candidate and Yue judges whether or not they’re worthy,” Eriol continued. “If the candidate fails, the price is steep.”

“Price? What Price?” Touya asked.

Kero hesitated before offering softly, “The Cards and Guardians forget the candidate, and everyone impacted by the Cards forgets the person they love the most.”

“ _ What _ ? What kind of bullshit is that?!”

“It was put in place to protect the Cards and Guardians,” Eriol said. “To help them sever ties with the old candidate and move on to a new one. Everyone impacted by the Cards forgets about them, and forgetting about the person they love most just happens to be collateral damage. Clow Reed was a powerful magician, but even he had his limitations. This spell happens to be one of them.”

“So someone was doing this before me and they failed? They and everyone involved forgot all of that?”

“Correct.”

“Who was it?” Yukito asked.

Everyone turned to him as if they’d forgotten he was there.

Eriol’s smile sent shivers down his spine. “Someone you all know. It would probably be cruel of me to say.”

“It’s a little late for that, jackass,” Touya snapped.

“So you’re saying we all knew about this before?” Yukito asked, 

“I am.”  
“How long have you known?”

Eriol’s expression softened minutely. “It’s why I came here in the first place.”

Shock rippled through Yukito, anger quickly following. Touya cut him off before he could voice as much.

“How is it you weren’t affected then?” he demanded.

“Past lives don’t count when it comes to interacting with the Cards. Even if they did, I don’t believe the spell would impact me. I am the one who created it, after all.”

Touya’s eyes narrowed. “You’re wrong. I still remember Kaho.”

Eriol snorted softly. “I’m not surprised. She wasn’t the one you loved most at the time.”

Touya looked as if he’d been punched in the gut. Yukito could sympathize. He felt like he was going to be sick. Had they really forgotten so much? How was that possible?

“Don’t you want to know who it was?” Eriol drawled, smirking.

“Fuck off,” Touya snapped. “I care about Yuki now. That’s all that’s important.”

Yukito’s head snapped up, eyes going wide. Some of the tension twisting his stomach into knots eased up. Eriol grew stone-faced by comparison.

Kero took a step forward. “What about Yue?”

“What about him?” Eriol demanded.

“He was in love with Clow. How could he forget Clow? Clow created him.”

“Anything is possible,” Eriol bit out. “But enough of that. All of the Cards have been collected.”

“What?!” Touya and Kero shouted simultaneously.

Eriol held up Earthy, eyes sliding closed. His name suddenly appeared on the bottom of the Card and something inside Yukito snapped. The last thing he was aware of, was everyone looking at him as he lost consciousness.


	21. Touya

For a brief moment, the anger and shock threatening to overtake him fell by the wayside. Suddenly all that mattered was the fact that Yukito was falling. Touya had wondered if something was wrong when he’d sat down. Now he was sure of it.

Touya lunged in his direction, trying to catch him before his head hit the sidewalk. It turned out he hadn’t needed to. Yukito lifted into the air of his own accord, eyes closed and body prone. Seeing him like that made Touya feel sick. He was so still he could have been dead.

Wings burst out from his back, the sheer size of which shocked him. They wrapped around Yukito much the way Kero’s had. When they unfurled, someone else was in Yukito’s place. Even knowing this was likely to happen, Touya was still caught off guard.

The man in front of him might have had Yukito’s height and build, even the way his hair fell into his face was similar, but Touya saw nothing of Yukito in the man’s cold silver eyes. Touya thought he’d done what he could to prepare himself, just in case. Apparently he was sorely mistaken. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Was Yukito still somewhere in there, or was he gone completely?

On some level, Touya had hoped Eriol would be taken off guard by Yukito’s transformation. He was wrong about that too. If anything, Eriol actually looked  _ happy _ . Kero, meanwhile, eyed Yue like he was a ticking time bomb about to go off.

“So we meet again, Yue,” Eriol said, smiling.

Touya took some comfort in the fact that Yue didn’t look pleased to see the bastard. Rather, his eyes narrowed as he stared back at him.

“You don’t remember, of course,” Eriol continued. “I made sure of that when we met my first day at school.”

Touya’s heart lurched. Had that been what happened to Yukito the day he’d passed out? He was going to wring Eriol’s neck.

Yue didn’t answer, gaze shifting between the three of them. His eyes rested longest on Touya. With a jolt, Touya wondered if Yue was aware of everything that had happened between him and Yukito.

“I thought there was only supposed to be one candidate, Keroberos.”

Touya started when Yue spoke, unprepared for him to sound exactly like Yukito. His tone reminded him of the few times Yukito had been angry. Cold and sharp.

“There was,” Kero answered. “I wasn’t aware someone else was collecting the Cards.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time something got past you,” Yue said dismissively.

Kero bristled. “Listen here, Rapunzel! If you’ve been in there somewhere listening, you have to know something isn’t right.”

Yue’s eyes narrowed into slits, reminding Touya of an angry cat. “Rapunzel? What does that mean?”

Eriol laughed, leading them all to stare back at him. “The two of you never have gotten along. Kero is right in this case. This will be the second time you’ve performed the Final Judgment.”

If Yue was surprised to hear as much, he gave no indication. Touya wasn’t certain much could ruffle the guy’s feathers. Was Yukito still in there somewhere?

Eriol continued, unperturbed. “I told you when we met before that I would collect the Cards and become your new Master. The time has come for me to prove it to you.”

“You have to pass the Final Judgment before you can make any such claim,” Yue said, crossing his arms. “Why I should have to judge either of you is beyond me. If neither of you was capable of collecting the cards on your own, I fail to see how either of you could possibly pose a challenge.”

Kero shook his head. “Yue, you don’t get it! Eriol has Clow Reed’s magic.”

“Should that impress me?”

Kero’s eyes widened. “You really don’t remember him?”

“Clearly he wasn’t worth remembering.”

Eriol took a step forward. “Let me go first. I’d like to get this over with quickly.”

Yue shot him a withering look. “I will judge Touya first.”

Touya’s heart leapt at his name. True Yue said it differently than Yukito, but he was able to take some comfort in the fact Yue had used his name at all.

Eriol glowered at him before he checked his temper. “Fine. When he fails, it will just make things even easier for me.”

Yue ignored him, which only served to irritate Eriol further, judging by how tightly his fists were clenched. The entirety of Yue’s attention shifted to Touya, leaving him on edge. He felt like Yue could see right through him. If he had Yukito’s memories, he probably could, which put Touya at a severe disadvantage as far as this Final Judgment thing was concerned.

“Let’s begin,” Yue said.

One moment Touya was standing on the street across from him. The next, they were in Penguin Park. It wasn’t that far of a trip, but Touya didn’t remember making it. Kero and Eriol showed up a few moments later, standing just beyond the circle of penguins. Somehow Yue looked no less serious standing amongst them.

Belatedly, Touya realized no one else was in the immediate area. Maybe that was the reason for the change of scenery. At least he wouldn’t have to explain a winged lion and surly angel to any of his friends or family. A nervous titter escaped him at the thought.

“What’s so funny?” Yue demanded.

It sounded accusatory coming from him. Another laugh almost escaped Touya. He couldn’t imagine Yukito ever managing to maintain such a severe expression. It wasn’t funny, and yet it was. Maybe he was losing his mind under the stress of everything.

“So how does this work?” Touya asked instead.

“Defeat me and you will become the new Master. Fail, and you will be stripped of your Cards and your friend will try his hand.”

“My  _ friend _ ? Eriol is  _ not _ my friend.”

“I really couldn’t care less,” Yue answered, lifting a hand.

Touya watched as his hand began to glow with a strange blue light. “Wait! Defeat you? What does that mean exactly?”

“If you can make me submit to you, you will pass the Final Judgment.”

Something about the word ‘submit’ made Touya’s skin crawl. Just what the hell kind of relationship had Yue shared with Clow Reed? He wished he’d asked Kero more about the other Guardian, but he doubted Kero would have told him much more. 

Of course remembering that left Touya acutely aware of the fact Eriol probably had memories of Clow Reed and Yue together. Even so, Yue didn’t seem to remember. Touya got a small thrill out of how bothered Eriol was by that. 

He didn’t get much time to enjoy the thought. A blue crystal materialized in Yue’s hand. He held it out toward Touya, the crystal multiplied and the new ones hurtled toward him. Touya dodged to the right, narrowly managing to evade them. 

As he moved, he wracked his brain for the right way to handle the situation. Yue was responsible for half the Cards, wasn’t he? Touya doubted they’d be much use against him. He just hoped he could remember which Cards those were.

Yue’s hand glowed again and Touya pulled out the Jump Card, activating it. The little wings appearing on the sides of his shoes always made him feel ridiculous, but it was far easier to avoid Yue’s next onslaught. Jump was under Yue though, wasn’t it? Touya hoped he hadn’t made the wrong choice.

“You’ll never be able to defeat me by running away,” Yue stated, shooting toward him faster than Touya would have thought possible.

Touya swore, leaping back as Yue pursued him. He was suddenly far less appreciative of Yukito’s athletic abilities now that they were being used against him.

“Yukito!’ he shouted, jumping up onto the top of the King Penguin.

Yue laughed, hovering in the air only a few feet in front of him. “Yukito can’t hear you.”

Touya’s hands tightened around his staff. “So you’re saying he’s not there anymore?” he demanded.

Yue tilted his head, considering him. “Yukito is my False Form. That is all.”

“There’s nothing false about him,” Touya snapped. 

It was difficult, but he forced back the anger threatening to consume him at the words. He needed a clear head if he was going to manage this without hurting Yukito. He sure as hell didn’t want Eriol anywhere near him, especially now he knew he’d been Clow in a previous life.

Touya ran through his nine cards in his head, relieved to see Yue seemed to be waiting for him to make the next move. Windy, Fiery, Jump, Flower, Wood, Illusion, Mirror, Fly, and Sword. Windy, Wood, Fly, Jump, and Illusion fell under Yue. Or at least he was pretty sure they did. He just hoped he wasn’t wrong.

That left Fiery, Flower, Mirror, and Sword. Only two of those sounded useful, but they were likely to cause the greatest amount of damage. What if he hurt or killed Yue? Was that possible? Regardless, he doubted trying to bury him in a pile of flowers would work.

Touya took a deep breath, throwing Fiery up. He activated the Card, letting her hover between him and Yue. Yue looked mildly less disdainful than before, or at least Touya thought so. Yukito was an open book, but his alter ego was more like a book that had been chained up and padlocked.

“That won’t do you any good if you aren’t willing to use her,” Yue drawled in a manner remarkably similar to Eriol’s.

Touya set his jaw, glaring back at him. As appealing as the idea of burning the jerk’s wings off was, he didn’t think it would be in Yukito’s best interest. Fiery’s flames flickered. Touya could feel the heat coming off of her from where he stood. The light caught on the gem in Yue’s ear and the ring on his right hand.

Touya sucked in a breath at the realization Eriol’s ring still rested on Yue’s finger. It was the only thing that hadn’t disappeared with Yukito’s sudden transformation. That had to be significant, didn’t it? Why had Eriol given Yukito the ring in the first place?

Though he hesitated to do so, Touya zeroed his attention in on the ring. Its energy was more subtle, but from what he could determine, the magic in it was steadily flowing into Yue. Almost like a magic IV. Kero had said Yue’s power was derived from his Master, hadn’t he? If the Cards were running out of power, was Yue running out too?

What would happen if Touya managed to get the ring off of him?

It wasn’t much of a plan. In fact, Touya was convinced it was a plan destined to fail, particularly since he’d have to be right up on Yue to take the ring. How the hell was he going to manage that? Yukito was faster than him and didn’t tire. He could only imagine how much faster Yue was.

Touya threw the Mirror Card up, activating it. His double appeared beside him. Yue looked unimpressed, to say the least.

“I may not have dominion over Mirror, but if you think I can’t tell the difference between the two of you, you’re sorely mistaken.”

“Yukito couldn’t.”

Something shifted in his expression before it faded back into the indecipherable one, almost too fast for Touya to notice. Had he been angry? He’d looked angry. But why would he be upset if he and Yukito were two separate people? 

Touya leaned toward Mirror, keeping his voice low. “Try and get that ring off of him, all right?”

Mirror nodded. Touya tried not to feel disconcerted as he watched himself jump off of King Penguin and to the ground below. Yue tracked Mirror, though he kept his body angled toward Touya and Fiery. His hand began to glow again.

“Fiery!”

She shot toward Yue, leaving a trail of flame in her wake. Touya couldn’t help but feel concerned by how easily Yue avoided her, practically flying circles around her. Clearly he had the advantage in the air. Touya was convinced they’d have an easier time if they could get him onto the ground. How the hell were they supposed to do that had yet to come to him. He also had no idea where Mirror had gone.

He ran through his Cards again in his head, mouth forming a grim line. This would either work or make him look like an idiot. Maybe if it didn’t work, Yue would take pity on him and just surrender. As Yue shot a burst of crystals at Fiery, Touya sincerely doubted it.

Touya forced himself to focus. Stalling wasn’t going to get him anywhere. He threw Flower up into the air, activating the card.

“Whoa! Good going, Touya!” Kero shouted from the sidelines. “I mean, I don’t know what your game plan is here, but it’s impressive you have so many Cards going at once!”

Great. Even the stuffed animal thought he was an idiot.

“Flower!” he shouted.

Yue turned at the shout, eyes going wide. For a second, Touya was convinced the guy was actually going to laugh. He wondered if his laugh sounded like Yukito’s too. 

Flower began to twirl in the air above them all, and a veritable blizzard of flowers began to fall. Touya’s vision quickly became obscured and he leapt down from the King Penguin, landing on the quickly piling mix of flowers.

Up above, Touya briefly caught sight of Yue as he beat his wings, managing only to temporarily redirect the flowers. He’d be a sitting duck if he stayed up there just trying to see. Touya was both concerned and impressed by how far Flower’s reach extended, as well as by how many flowers were quickly piling around them. They already threatened to reach past his knees and Touya began to wonder if maybe this hadn’t been the best idea after all.

Yue shot a burst of crystals upward, trying to strike Flower. Judging by how the flowers only began to fall more heavily, he’d missed. Flower had the advantage, to say the least. Touya breathed a sigh of relief as he sensed Yue descend.

“Flower!” he shouted again. 

As suddenly as the flowers had fallen, they stopped. The flowers around them were nearly halfway up Touya’s thighs. Great… 

The last of the flowers drifted down around them. Touya barely managed to keep a straight face when some settled in Yue’s obnoxiously long hair. If the Guardian noticed, he gave no indication. Flower remained above them, patiently waiting to be called on again. Touya really hoped he didn’t have to. The last thing he wanted to do was to try chasing Yue around in waist deep flowers. He was really hoping to have at least a shred of dignity left by the end of it all.

On the sidelines, Kero sneezed.

Touya rolled his eyes, deactivating Fiery. Unfortunately she wouldn’t be much use now. Not unless he wanted to set himself  _ and _ Yue on fire.

Yue floated across from him, frowning. Touya could practically hear the gears turning in his head. If Yue was half as smart as Yukito, which Touya was betting he was, Touya really didn’t want to give him enough time to formulate a plan.

“Has anyone ever told you that you have resting bitch face?” he called to Yue.

The gears ground to a halt, a vaguely puzzled expression coming to Yue’s face. Kero cackled on the sidelines, though his laughter was cut short by another sneeze.

Touya could feel Yue’s power. Though he was convinced it was stronger than Kero’s, he also got the impression Yue relied more on brains than brawn. Touya had yet to see him expend any unnecessary energy, aside from the irritating way he hovered just above the flowers. Unfortunately, he doubted the expenditure would wear Yue out. He also still had the advantage of speed on his side, since he was unencumbered by the flowers. Touya could activate Fly to level the playing field, but chasing Yue around the park didn’t seem like the way to go.

“Have you really resorted to insulting me?” Yue demanded imperiously. 

“Is it an insult if it’s true? I’m pretty sure that’s just stating a fact.”

Yue’s frown deepened. Touya would have missed it if he hadn’t been paying careful attention to the slightest change in his expression.

“What Yukito sees in you, I fail to understand,” he bit out.

Touya’s eyes widened. Sees. Present tense. So Yukito was still in there somewhere? 

He didn’t get much time to think about it. Yue’s arms moved so quickly it took him a moment to understand what he was seeing. Suddenly he held a vertical arc of light in one hand and what looked suspiciously like a magical arrow in the other.

_ Shit _ . Yukito was a fucking archery champion. Touya could see where he got it from now.

Yue released the arrow. Touya dodged, but he wasn’t fast enough. The arrow passed by him, cutting into his arm. Some distant part of him noted he’d been hit in the same place Sakura had hurt Yukito.

Touya felt a searing pain. As quickly as the pain came, it vanished, though his arm ached in the aftermath. He hazarded a look down. The wound looked almost as if it had been cauterized. Touya cautiously moved his arm, wincing at the resulting pain. Not life threatening by any means, but the pain would likely limit his mobility.

In the time it had taken him to check the wound, Yue had created another arrow. This one was pointed directly at Touya’s chest.

“Perhaps you should consider surrendering?” Yue drawled.

Touya felt a flare of anger, but he tamped it down. “Was it good for you last night?” he shot back.

A miniscule crease formed between Yue’s brows before his eyes blazed with anger. He released the arrow, but his aim was off. The arrow passed mere inches from Touya. This only seemed to infuriate him further.

“Wow. Yukito never misses. Guess he got all the talent in the family.”

“If you are trying to rile me up, you won’t succeed,” Yue snapped, readying another arrow.

Touya wasn’t an archery expert, but he was pretty sure Yue didn’t need to take that much time to aim. He’d seen Yukito let arrows loose and still hit his target in less time. It looked like he’d gotten under Yue’s skin after all.

Touya couldn’t keep dodging. He’d been on the defensive almost the entire fight. He caught sight of movement out of the corner of his eye, realizing Mirror was gradually approaching Yue from behind. He needed to keep Yue distracted if she was going to be successful. 

He threw another Card into the air. “Sword!”

His staff glowed briefly before changing to match the sword depicted on the Card. 

Touya sincerely doubted he’d be able to see the next arrow in time to block it. He extended his senses, though it took more effort than it normally did. All the magic he was throwing around was beginning to wear him down. He needed to end this soon or Yue would be ending it for him.

Yue loosed the next arrow, this one aimed straight for Touya’s chest. He bit back a curse, swinging the sword when he felt the magic was about to reach him. The arrow vanished in a brief burst of light. Touya returned his attention to Yue, stomach clenching at the dark look in his eyes.

Maybe taunting him hadn’t been the best idea. It seemed like things had gone from Final Judgment to pure revenge. Touya considered Yue, who no longer held his bow. Instead of feeling relieved, he felt mildly panicked.

One second Yue was yards away and the next, he was hurtling toward Touya at breakneck speed, despite the sword Touya held in his hands. Touya felt the sword urging him to shift into a position to attack the encroaching threat.

Touya dropped the sword only seconds before Yue collided with him. He’d had never been hit by a truck before, but he had a feeling this is what it felt like. He was flung backward, the wind knocked out of him. And now he didn’t have his fucking staff.

Touya hit the ground hard despite the cushion of the flowers, Yue’s weight only adding to the impact. Though he was dazed, Touya had enough sense to grab the Guardian by the upper arms, jerking him back down when he tried to get up. Yue jerked his right arm, trying to pull free. He was stronger than Touya had anticipated and he lost his grip.

Yue’s wings flared out and Touya’s heart lurched in his chest. Yue didn’t immediately lift off though, instead slamming his fist into the side of Touya’s face.

He’d been prepared to be dragged or dropped or...something. Touya hadn’t been prepared to be punched. Especially not by someone as prissy looking as the Guardian. He hit  _ hard _ too.

Pain radiated from where Yue’s fist had impacted with his cheek. Touya reflexively released him to bring his arms up to ward off another blow. Freed, Yue shot up toward the sky only to be jerked back down by Mirror. 

Touya had thought Yue looked angry before. With Mirror’s hand tightly gripping his hair, he looked downright dangerous. His cat-like eyes blazed with a fury so strong even Mirror took a step back, though she didn’t release him. 

Even though he was fully aware of the fact Yue and Yukito weren’t human, it was the first time Touya really  _ saw _ it. Despite his shape, there was nothing human about Yue in that instant. In Touya’s eyes, he was suddenly magic and power, swirling together to create a weapon that flooded Touya with a fear more potent than what he’d experienced when Sakura had held the Sword.

He froze up, his body warring between fight or flight as something primitive was triggered deep down inside of him. This was a predator. This was a threat. 

Touya was on his feet before he realized he’d stood. He took a step back as Yue shifted his weight, the entirety of his attention settling on Touya. Yue’s eyes bore into his, promising pain. Adrenaline flooded Touya’s system. His first instinct was to run. It took more self-control than Touya anticipated to stay rooted to the spot. 

Time seemed to slow. Touya watched as Yue lifted his hands. He could feel the magic gathering in  them. He took a deep breath before he lunged forward, ignoring how every fiber of his being screamed for him to head in the opposite direction.

Yue didn’t flinch back. Rather, he strained toward him, his expression utterly feral. He wasn’t strategizing anymore. Touya wasn’t certain he was even thinking at this point.

The magic faded from his right hand while growing stronger in his left. He clenched his right hand into a fist, aiming for Touya’s gut. Touya managed to block the blow at the last second. He caught Yue’s slender wrist in one hand and forced his fist open with the other.

Touya grew lightheaded as the building magic wreaked havoc on his senses. It was too much to process, especially at such close range. As he slid the ring from Yue’s finger, his vision grew black around the edges.

The instant the ring passed off of his finger, it was like someone had pulled the plug. The building magic vanished and Yue’s expression went slack. Touya barely managed to catch him as he fell, Mirror having released his hair.

Touya overbalanced with the sudden added weight, dropping to the ground with Yue’s prone form on top of him. It took Touya a moment to realize someone was yelling. His head swiveled slowly in Eriol’s direction as he sprinted toward them.

“Put it back!”

He stared dumbly down at the ring, abrupt bone weary exhaustion threatening to pull him under.

Yue lightened in his arms and Touya looked down at him. His mouth went dry when he realized he could see right through Yue. Clumsily, he shoved the ring back onto his finger, nearly dropping it in the process.

Yue solidified almost instantly, his weight once more fully pressing against Touya. His eyes slid open, unfocused and dull. Touya felt the magic in the ring begin to feed into him once more. After a moment, Yue blinked, his awareness returning in a rush. He jerked himself upright and off of Touya.

It was the last thing Touya saw before everything went black.


	22. Yue

Yue was cognizant enough to realize Touya was about to pass out. He watched him sway, though he did nothing to stop him from toppling over. He was pleased to see he’d fallen onto his bruised cheek.

Eriol and Keroberos came to a halt beside them.

“What the hell was that?!” Kero demanded, scowling.

Yue didn’t bother to answer, his attention on Touya’s prone form. He didn’t know who he was more upset with, Touya or himself. Keroberos had always known the exact buttons to push to make him lose his temper, but this was different. He’d thought he’d outgrown such childishness. At least until Touya had begun taunting him.

Part of him, the part he now associated with Yukito, was insistent he check on Touya and make sure he was okay. Yukito wasn’t supposed to be aware of what went on in this form in the first place, and yet he’d made him lose his aim during the fight. It was disconcerting to say the least.

He didn’t get up, still seated on the ground, though he’d hidden his wings to make the position more comfortable. His eyes dropped to the ring on his finger, the gift from Eriol. If he focused, he could feel the magic in it. He hadn’t noticed it before when he’d been Yukito. Yue assumed that was because this form required far more energy.

“He beat you fair and square!” Kero continued. “The least you could’ve done was not let him fall flat on his face after the fact!”

Yue cut him a look that briefly silenced Kero before he regathered himself, fur bristling.

“Well? Are you gonna say something?”

“Shut up.”

If Kero had looked mad before, he looked like he was beside himself now. Before he could respond, Eriol cut in.

“How are you feeling, Yue?”

Turning to him, Yue narrowed his eyes. The boy had manipulated him, whether or not his power was keeping him alive. It was hazy, but the memory from their encounter by the school was slowly coming back to him.

Eriol seemed unperturbed, offering him a rueful smile. “Touya was stronger than I gave him credit for. I’m sure Yukito’s attachment to him helped. That’s how it was supposed to be the first time…”

“You act as if any of that matters,” Yue cut in, frowning. “This ‘first time’ you keep referring to is irrelevant.”

Kero looked between the two of them, concern furrowing his brow. “...you really don’t remember him, Yue? You don’t remember Clow?”

“I don’t know how many times I have to answer that question before you all stop asking.”

Kero flinched. “It’s just… It’s weird. It feels wrong.”

“Perhaps this Clow should have pushed you toward a better candidate in the first place.”

Eriol went to rest his hand on Yue’s shoulder, but he batted it away, scowling.

“I was just trying to gauge how much magic you have left. You used up quite a bit during the fight. The ring can only sustain you for so long without needing to be recharged.”

“I’m fine.”

“You still haven’t gotten up,” Eriol countered, holding his hand out.

Yue glared at it, but the need to regain his strength and energy won out over his outrage. He reluctantly placed his right hand in Eriol’s. He could feel the boy’s magic lick his skin as he performed the spell. The sensation moved from his head to his feet before settling in his chest. He couldn’t stop himself from gasping when Eriol suddenly pushed more power into the ring.

It seemed as though he’d been destined to lose. If Touya hadn’t defeated him, there was now no doubt in his mind that Eriol would have been able to. He’d breached his defenses easily before and, if his magic was any indication, he was one of the most powerful people Yue had met. Was it because it was this Clow Reed’s magic? If Clow Reed had created them, it stood to reason he would have an advantage over the beings created with his magic.

“There,” Eriol said, giving his hand a brief squeeze. “That should help for a bit.”

He didn’t answer as he took his hand back, staring down at the ring.

Kero’s full attention shifted to Eriol. “If you have Clow Reed’s magic, why’d you only wind up with half the cards? Shouldn’t you have been able to get them all no problem?”

“Unfortunately many of them manifested and activated closer to Touya. There was only so much I could do at that point.” Eriol said.

“Why’d you get involved in the first place? I mean, I chose Touya. That’s the whole point of this, isn’t it? I pick someone and Yue judges whether or not they’re good enough.”

Eriol didn’t answer immediately, instead making his way around Yue and over to Touya. He held his hand out over him, palm down. Yue didn’t feel his magic this time, but he assumed Touya was getting the same treatment he’d gotten moments before. Eriol dropped his arm, seemingly satisfied.

“As I mentioned before, I came here to play a different role. I was supposed to help the first candidate assume full responsibility for the Cards. I was supposed to help them gradually replace Clow Reed’s magic with their own. While catching the Cards helps somewhat, giving them a small boost of power, they need to be able to rely entirely on the candidate’s magic as Clow Reed’s fades with time. The same is true for you and Yue.”

Touya groaned, slowly forcing himself up into a sitting position. His arm shook as he propped himself up. He took a few breaths before pushing off entirely from the ground, managing to stay seated and upright on his own. Yue abruptly moved to his feet, absently twisting the ring on his finger. 

Touya tilted his head up, offering him a weak grin. “Looks like I won.”

Yue’s lips thinned.

“Look. I’m sorry. I know I was being a dick. I just want to let you know that’s not how it is and that’s not how it’s going to be.”

Yue crossed his arms, turning from him.

“You always so talkative? Hell, I usually can’t get Yuki to shut up.”

“I’m not him.”

Touya snorted. He tried to climb to his feet, but wavered and wound up falling the few inches back to the ground. He shook his head. “Yeah, I know. But I’m starting to see the similarities. The two of you are more alike than you think.”

“You must have hit your head harder than I thought.”

He didn’t answer, instead throwing his head back and laughing. Yue’s eyes widened briefly and he turned back to him.

“What is so funny?”

“Just realized you do have a sense of humor somewhere deep in that hair.”

Yue shifted, taking a handful of his hair to pull over his shoulder. He absently ran his fingers through it, scalp still aching from it being pulled earlier. Thankfully it didn’t appear to have been tangled during the fight. Combing out snarls would have only made the ache worse.

Touya tried to stand again, barely managing it this time. He stumbled toward Yue and Yue reflexively stepped back and out of his reach. 

“All right. How can I make it up to you then?”

“Make it up to me?” he echoed, brow furrowing.

“Do you eat as much as Yuki?”

“He doesn’t eat,” Kero cut in. 

Touya rolled his eyes. “That explains a lot. So what do you like then, Yue?”

“What are you talking about?” Yue demanded.

“I just told you I want to pay you back for fighting dirty. I want to make things right between us.”

“You’re worried Yukito will think poorly of you.”

He sighed, scrubbing his face with one hand. He seemed to belatedly realize it was bruised, flinching and abruptly stopping. “This doesn’t have anything to do with Yukito.”

Yue ignored him, pushing back his mounting frustration. “Now that the Final Judgment is complete, I, Yue, deem Touya Kinomoto worthy of being our new Master.”

Touya gave a startled yelp as his and Eriol’s Cards left them, floating into the air. His name appeared on the bottoms of Eriol’s before the Cards stacked themselves neatly in the air in front of him. He tentatively reached for them, staring down at them once he held them. 

“You need to change them with your own magic,” Eriol said, frowning at him. “The Cards are running out of power as it is. If you don’t act soon, you won’t be able to activate them at all. They’ll only be cards then.”

“Why am I not surprised the Final Judgment wasn’t the end of it?” Touya drawled. “I mean, you’d think it was, what with the word ‘final’ involved. But none of this makes any sense, so why would it all be over now?”

“Are you sure he’s strong enough?” Kero asked, brow furrowed. “He’s not as strong as Clow Reed. Wouldn’t it be dangerous for him to try to change them so quickly?”

“I think he’ll manage,” Eriol said, turning from them.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Touya demanded.

Eriol turned back to him, arching a brow. “Home.”

“You’re not going to stick around and explain anything else?”

“No. You’ll also need to change the Cards so you can begin to support Yue’s magic. I’ve done more than I should have already.”

Touya tucked the Cards into his pocket. “So suddenly you aren’t interested in helping? I thought you were worried about the Cards.”

“It’s all in your hands now, Kinomoto.”

Touya stepped forward, fists clenching. “Was Clow Reed as much of a cryptic asshole as you are?”

“Worse,” Kero cut in.

Eriol scowled at the two of them. “You’ve been selected as the rightful Master of the Cards. It’s your responsibility now.”

“Yeah? Well if you knew Kero picked me, why didn’t you stop catching them or try to help?”

As much as it pained him to admit it, Yue had been wondering the same thing. 

“Every time I looked into the future, you failed,” Eriol snapped. “Was I just supposed to sit back and hope my foresight was wrong again? At the risk of the Cards and the Guardians?”

“If that’s what you really wanted, you would’ve worked with me, or at least told me you were going to handle it. Literally all you had to do was tell me you were Clow Reed’s reincarnation and you were gathering the Cards and I probably would have stepped back and let you do it.”

“You do realize you said probably, don’t you?” Eriol asked, expression unreadable. “Why wouldn’t you have, Touya?”

“Maybe because I wouldn’t have wanted Yuki attached to someone like you. Hell, you keep saying Clow Reed was their Master. What kind of relationship is that? Especially if he and Yue were fu--” 

Yue narrowed his eyes. Touya waved a dismissive hand.

“Especially if he and Yue were so close,” he amended. “Was it like a BDSM thing?”

Much like with the ‘Rapunzel’ comment, Yukito’s memories were unhelpful at deciphering the acronym. Not knowing what it meant didn’t stop Yue from shooting Touya a withering look.

“I wouldn’t expect you to understand,” Eriol said, mouth pressing into a firm line.

Touya opened his mouth to say something before promptly closing it. He and Eriol stood there, glaring at each other. Yue barely managed not to roll his eyes. Finally, Eriol turned on his heel and walked away. Kero and Touya watched him go. Yue didn’t feel the need.

“What was all that about?” Kero prompted.

Touya glanced back at Yue, a thoughtful expression on his face. Yue arched a brow.

“Nothing,” Touya said, shaking his head. “I’m sure he has his reasons.” 

Touya blew out a breath, looking nothing short of exhausted.

“You need to get some rest,” Kero said. “You used up a lot of magic today.”

“What about the Cards?”

“They’ll be fine another day or two. There’s not a whole lot you can do right now. Not without putting yourself at risk.”

Touya nodded absently, glancing between Kero and Yue. “So...is this how it is now? You two are going to be like this all the time?”

“Nah. At least not until after you’ve changed the Cards. Especially since your magic won’t really be able to sustain Yue until then. It’d make more sense for us to return to our temporary forms for now.”

Yue pointedly ignored the blatant relief on Touya’s face.

“Right. So. I guess if you guys don’t mind changing back, we can all get some rest and work on this in the morning.” To Yue specifically he added, “Think about it. Okay?”

“About what?” he asked, quickly becoming tired of how  _ difficult _ this boy was.

“About what you want me to do to make things up to you.”

Yue didn’t dignify that with a response. He tapped into his magic, Wings extending and folding over him. When the change finished, a dazed Yukito stood in his place. Yue was all too happy to let him deal with the two idiots instead.

 

**\---**

 

Yukito blinked, feeling mildly lightheaded. He couldn’t remember being quite so tired or hungry in his life. Touya stepped forward, wrapping his arms tightly around him. While it didn’t do much for his fatigue or hunger, it did help ground Yukito in the present moment.

“Yuki! Are you okay?”

He nodded dumbly. Even if he was feeling less disoriented, the memories from the past hour or so were coming back in bits and pieces. It was all so disjointed. What did all of this mean for him? For his life?

“Hey,” Touya said, gently shaking him. 

Yukito’s head bobbed of its own accord with the motion.

Touya frowned, looking worriedly to Kero. Kero, now in his temporary form, floated over to hover right beside the two of them.

“Even with the power Eriol gave him, he still burned up a lot of energy and calories when he was Yue. He probably just needs to eat and sleep.”  
Yukito nodded, leaning harder against Touya. “My house isn’t far,” he murmured against Touya’s chest.  
Touya nodded, pulling one of Yukito’s arms up and over his shoulders. Yukito didn’t think he was in much better shape, but he wasn’t in a position to protest at the moment. They made their way slowly in that direction. As they went, it seemed like the city was slowly coming back to life. Any damage that had occurred seemed to have been swept away, likely Eriol’s work. The fact no one was running around screaming was probably an extension of that.

He was relieved when they stumbled into his house, he and Touya toeing off their shoes in the entryway. Kero floated toward the kitchen and Yukito was close behind. Touya, meanwhile, sank onto the sofa.

Yukito immediately dove into the refrigerator, grateful he had so many leftovers on hand. He’d made it through the bulk of them, not bothering to warm them up, before he paused.

“Touya? Do you want something to eat too?”

When Touya didn’t answer, he frowned, poking his head out to see him. At some point, Touya had toppled over. His feet were still on the floor, but he was laying on his side, snoring softly. Kero, meanwhile, sat on the back of the sofa, his arms crossed.

Yukito grabbed a throw, pulling it up and over Touya before taking a seat in one of the chairs. Kero floated over to him, perching on the arm of it.

“I’m sure you’ve got a lot of questions,” Kero offered. “I don’t know how much I can do as far as answering them goes, though. That’s probably something you’ll have to talk to Eriol about.”

Yukito gave a small shake of his head, a rueful smile coming to his face. “A lot’s starting to make sense, honestly. And...ever since the fight, things are starting to become clearer. I don’t know what happened. One minute I was there, then I wasn’t, and then I realized Touya was in danger and I was...there again. But not there.”

“You’re taking it pretty well.”

“I’m mostly trying not to think about it.” 

Any time he thought about it too much, he wasn’t sure if he was going to wind up laughing at the absurdity of it all or crying. It wasn’t exactly easy to accept the fact the majority of your life was a lie. 

Kero nodded, casually sneaking one of his dumplings. Yukito resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“I guess… The only thing I want to know is what’s real and what isn’t.”

“What d’you mean?”

Yukito took a bite of another dumpling, chewing slowly. “My memories. Me. What happens to me when Touya’s capable of supporting Yue.”

Kero didn’t answer immediately, brow furrowing as he thought. Finally, he offered, “Didn’t you...uh...transfer to Touya’s school at some point?”

“I did.”

“I mean, I can’t say for sure, but I’m willing to bet that was around the time you showed up. At least Touya can verify everything after that is real.”

“Can he? There’s a lot we all forgot, isn’t there?”

Kero gave a helpless shrug. “I don’t know what to tell you. I’m not surprised Eriol didn’t bother to elaborate. Clow Reed always loved his secrets.”

Eriol. Yukito’s eyes dropped to the ring. Now that he was aware of it, there was something he felt from it that was more than just its weight on his finger. He couldn't begin to articulate what though.

“Kero, if Yue loved Clow Reed, and Clow Reed loved Yue, is it possible Eriol just got involved because he also loved Yue?”

“I can’t say for certain. There’s a real possibility that’s the case. He seemed upset, to say the least. You’d have to ask him.”

Yukito sank back against the chair. While his stomach was satisfied, he still felt like he’d run a marathon. The feeling was gradually going away, thankfully.

“Why don’t you get some rest too?” Kero asked. “We can sort everything out when Touya wakes up.”

“You never answered the question about what happens to me.”

Kero blew out a hard breath, fidgeting where he sat. “Honestly? I don’t know. I’m just me. I don’t have a split personality. I wouldn’t worry too much though. If you were aware while you were in Yue form, I don’t think you’re just going to up and disappear. There’s probably a deeper connection tying the two of you together. I don’t know for sure. Sorry, but that’s another Eriol question.”

Regardless, he felt a little better after hearing Kero’s theory. He’d just have to make time to talk to Eriol soon. His immediate needs taken care of, Yukito tilted his head back, eyelids growing heavier. He would be more comfortable in his bed, but it seemed so far away.

“Wake me up when Touya’s awake, okay?”

“Sure thing.”

Yukito closed his eyes, pushing away the last of his anxious thoughts and letting sleep take him.


	23. Touya

When Touya finally woke up, he expected to see his bedroom walls. Instead, he was greeted with Yukito’s coffee table. He blinked owlishly at it, awareness and memory slowly creeping back in. Eriol. Yue. Yukito. The Final Judgment. 

He sat up, scrubbing his face with his hands. 

He wasn’t finished either. He still had to change the Cards and deal with the fact his boyfriend was also a surly magical Guardian. Touya barely bit back the groan trying to escape him.

Why wouldn’t it all become more complicated and difficult? That was the story of his life after all. 

Giving a jaw cracking yawn, he glanced around the room. Yukito was sleeping upright in one of the chairs in a position that left Touya convinced he’d need a chiropractor to ever move his head again. Kero dozed on the arm of the chair, sprawled out and snoring softly.

Touya was tempted to pick Kero up and head out. His father and Sakura were probably looking for him. He glanced to the clock, grimacing when he realized they were probably already in bed and asleep. 

Still, he placed a quick call and his father answered, relieved to hear he was staying at Yukito’s for the night. Seeing as he hadn’t sounded like he’d just woken up, Touya felt a twinge of guilt for making him stay up so late. 

As he hung up Yukito’s phone, Kero stirred. He flailed, nearly falling off of the arm of the chair before he caught himself. He shook his head rapidly from side to side and, spotting Touya, floated over to him.

“You alright?” Touya asked.

“M’fine,” he mumbled, rubbing at his eyes. “Yukito wanted me to wake him up when you woke up.”

“I’d say let him sleep, but his neck is probably already killing him,” Touya said as he made his way over to Yukito.

He reached out to gently shake Yukito’s shoulder, his hand pausing mere centimeters above it. Thinking Yukito might be Yue was one thing. Knowing Yukito  _ was _ Yue was another entirely. Did it change anything? Was Yukito still interested in a relationship? Where did Yue fit into their lives? Where did Yukito fit into Yue’s life?

His words from when Eriol mocked him returned to him. _ I care about Yuki now. That’s all that’s important. _ Yukito being a magical Moon Guardian wasn’t going to change how Touya felt about him. Sure, it complicated things. Sure, it was weird. But if it didn’t bother Yukito, why should he start having second thoughts now?

Although…

Touya turned to Kero, who was watching him warily. Touya didn’t immediately say anything, some part of him enjoying watching Kero squirm as he waited for whatever bombshell he seemed convinced Touya was about to drop.

“Just spit it out already!” he snapped, waving his arms.

“I just wanted to know if you could tell me more about Yue before I wake Yukito up. You know, now that the Final Judgment is over.”

Kero threw his head back, arms lifting in outrage. “That’s it?!”

“What? What did you think I was going to ask?”

“I don’t know! Yukito’s having an existential crisis! I might be a Sun Guardian, but I’m not some prophet or something!”

“An existential crisis?” Touya echoed, arching a brow.

He huffed. “He was asking me all kinds of questions I didn’t know the answers to and I was paranoid I was just going to wind up upsetting him or something. I mean, it’s bad enough he’s Yue. It’s even worse that he’s dating you.”

“How is it worse?”

“Because I don’t want to screw up what the two of you have going on!”

Touya chuckled. “I didn’t realize you were so concerned about my love life.”

Kero crossed his arms and turned his nose up. “I don’t care about your love life. Yue’s grouchy as it is. I don’t want to see what he’d be like if I put a rift between the two of you.”

A slow smile came to Touya’s face and he forced back the laugh that tried to bubble up again. “You’re not worried about me. You’re worried about him.”

“Am not!”

“The two of you are...what, siblings or something? You’re worried I’m going to break his heart?”

“I don’t care about his heart or any other part of him!” Kero snapped, his insistence only further convincing Touya the opposite was true.

Touya couldn’t talk. He would’ve been the same way if Sakura had been involved. He decided to let Kero off the hook for the moment.

“So, what can you tell me about Yue?”

Kero scowled, floating back in the direction of the kitchen when Yukito stirred. Touya waited, but when Yukito didn’t open his eyes, he followed Kero.

“Well, you already know he’s a killjoy. He’s also spoiled and self-absorbed and so  _ annoying _ . You should’ve seen the way he and Clow were together! Yue could’ve gotten away with murder as far as he was concerned!”

“Sounds like he might be the younger sibling.”

Kero rolled his eyes. “We’re not like that.”

Uh huh.

“Sure you aren’t. Is there anything else I need to know? His likes? His dislikes?”

“You never asked me all this stuff, y’know.”

Touya snorted, heading over to the refrigerator. He opened it, frowning at the nearly empty interior. He turned his attention to the cabinets, pleased to find enough between the two to start on a soup. Grabbing the mishmash of remaining vegetables from the refrigerator, he went to the sink to rinse them off.

“I get the feeling he’s not as blatantly obvious about everything as you or Yukito are.”

Kero floated down to the counter, taking a seat on the rice cooker so he could better glare at Touya.

“Well?” Touya prompted.

“He and Yukito seem to be alike in some ways,” Kero begrudgingly offered. “Like with archery and sports and stuff.”

“Yue played sports?”

Kero got a far off look in his eye before cackling at whatever mental image he’d conjured. Touya patiently waited for him to continue.

“No!” Kero said once he’d regathered himself. “But the thought of Yue dressed up in one of those stupid soccer uniforms you have is hysterical. You should make him do that.”

“Kero.”

He sighed. “I just mean he’s...what’s the word...athletic?”

“All right.”

“He also likes to read. Like Yukito. He doesn’t have a favorite food or anything though. Like I said before, he doesn’t eat. Um… His power is strongest under the full moon. I guess as far as dislikes are concerned, he doesn’t like getting dirty. He doesn’t like it when you play jokes on him or tease him either.”

Touya nodded, locating a cutting board and knife. He started to slice up the vegetables. “Good to know.”

Kero resumed sulking in silence as Touya continued to prepare the soup. Yukito appeared in the doorway to the kitchen just as Touya finished up. Touya glanced over, watching him rub the back of his neck.

“Hey. How’re you feeling?”

Yukito managed a smile, still cheerful despite everything that had happened. It looked genuine, which eased the knot of worry Touya hadn’t realized had settled in his stomach.

“I’m okay. What about you?” He paused, frowning. “I’m...um...sorry about what happened earlier.”

“Huh?”

“You know… The whole fight.”

“So far as I know, that’s not something you’re responsible for,” Touya said, ladling out two heaping portions, as well as a smaller one for Kero. 

Touya led the way to the table, setting them all down. The bowls were easy enough to manage after how much time he’d worked as a waiter. He gestured for Yukito to sit.

“You didn’t have to do this,” Yukito said. “I mean, technically this is my house. I should’ve been the one cooking.”

“I was hungry and I figured nothing was open this late. You need some groceries by the way.”

Yukito frowned faintly, not yet starting on his soup. Touya took a bite, glancing up at him as he chewed and swallowed.

“What is it?”

Yukito blinked, staring blankly back at him. “What?”

“You look like something’s bothering you.”

His eyes shifted to the side, no longer meeting Touya’s. Meanwhile, his hands remained in his lap.

“Yuki?”

“It’s just… Do I need to buy groceries?”

Touya tilted his head, frowning back at him. “Why wouldn’t you?”

“Yue doesn’t eat.”

“So? Last I checked, you clear out entire grocery aisles when you get hungry.”

Yukito’s gaze dropped to the tabletop. 

Touya stopped eating, giving him his full attention. “Hey. Don’t worry about that, okay? We’ll figure out how all this works soon enough. It’s not like I’m going to just let you vanish. You’re my boyfriend.”

“Am I though?”

Despite himself, Touya felt his temper spike. “Why the hell wouldn’t you be? Last I checked I’ve known you for a few years now. Whether or not you’re sharing a body with Yue, you’re still you. You’re both equally important.”

He could tell Yukito didn’t entirely believe him. Touya turned to Kero, who looked a bit like a deer in headlights.

“Tell him, Kero.”

“I already talked to Kero about it,” Yukito cut in. “He said I needed to ask Eriol to figure out what happens now. All he can do is speculate.”

“So we’ll ask Eriol. Eat your soup and we’ll head over there.”

Yukito’s head jerked up. “Touya! It’s after midnight. We can’t just go over there now.”

“Why can’t we?”

“It would be rude.”

“He hasn’t exactly been the definition of polite. You know, what with him lying to us from day one and then acting all high and mighty about it.”

“Touya…”

“Fine. We’ll wait until the morning,” Touya groused, resuming eating his soup.

Yukito finally started on his and the knot in Touya’s stomach loosened further.

 


	24. Eriol

The night passed in a blur. The more Eriol tried to distance himself from everything that had happened, the more he found himself thinking about it. He should have known better than to irritate Yue. He should have taken Touya more seriously. 

He tried to rationalize it. After all, it was a good thing for the sake of the Guardians and the Cards that they had a strong Master. He didn’t need foresight to know Touya would be able to manage the transformation of the Cards now that he knew the full extent of his capabilities. It had been petty of him to leave without explaining further. Even so, he wasn’t feeling particularly repentant. 

Kaho had asked him what was wrong when he’d returned home so abruptly. Thankfully she hadn’t been there to witness everything. He was grateful she’d had the sense to stay away. Kaho had a knack for that sort of thing. It was what he appreciated most about her.

Eriol didn’t bother to try to sleep and he didn’t want to talk. He made his way outside, setting a blanket down beneath the cherry tree that had captivated Yukito. He laid back on it, his arms behind his head and his eyes closed. No, he didn’t need to sleep. He needed to think and to plan his next steps.

It was close to dawn when Kaho came out and took a seat beside him. He didn’t open his eyes. He didn’t need to in order to recognize her. She didn’t speak, instead providing a quiet comfort that somehow did more for him than words could have. Finally he sat up, opening his eyes. She offered him a small smile.

“Did you come out here to tell me to go to bed?” he asked.

“No. It just seemed like you might need some company.”

Eriol frowned, crossing his legs. His eyes dropped to the fallen petals scattered around them. The tree regenerated the petals as fast as it lost them. He picked one up, rubbing it between his thumb and forefinger. It was soft and almost velvety to the touch.

“I was just thinking,” he said, filling the silence that had fallen between them while he’d stalled.

“Oh?”

“I’m sure you already realize what’s happened.”

She nodded, reaching over. She rested her hand on the one he’d left on the blanket.

“Then you must know how ridiculous I’m being.”

“Ridiculous?”

He frowned harder, flinching when he accidentally tore the petal he held. “Yes. Instead of sitting out here and figuring out what to do now, I’ve just been…” He trailed off.

“Upset?” she offered.

“Yes. For no reason. Yue wasn’t in a relationship with me, he was in a relationship with Clow. A relationship and a person he doesn’t even remember.”

“I was under the impression it was Yukito you had fallen for.’

His head jerked up and she smiled.

“Am I wrong?” she asked.

“They’re the same person.”

“I realize that, but that doesn’t make them exactly the same. From what you’ve told me, Yukito has his own likes and dislikes and personality. He seems very sweet. I’m not surprised you wound up falling for him.”

He shook his head. “That’s not what happened.’

“Isn’t it? You may have expressed an initial interest in him because of Yue, but I’ve only seen you spending time with Yukito. Besides, like you’ve always said, you aren’t Clow Reed. I think you’ve gotten too caught up in his life instead of focusing on your own.”

“I’m not caught up in his life.”

She gave him a smile that made him sigh. 

“I don’t think you loving Yukito was part of that though. Like I said, Clow’s feelings and memories are how it started, but it changed into something else. It’s understandable you’re upset now. I would’ve been more surprised if you hadn’t been. Heartbreak is one of the more difficult things to work past.”

He met her gaze, the memories of his relationship with her bubbling up at her words. It had been difficult to accept the fact she’d forgotten him. Their relationship had hardly begun before it was over. Eriol had never been the type to fall head over heels. The wedge her lapse in memory had put between them, combined with the more plentiful memories he had of Clow’s relationship with Yue had been a perfect storm. 

Admittedly, she and Yukito were very similar, at least in terms of temperament. Both had a powerful, yet understated presence. Both were kind and intelligent. They even shared a love of learning, as well as interest and prowess in archery. Where they differed was that Yukito was far more pliant, while Kaho had a stronger personality. A follower versus a leader.

“You’re smiling,” she said, her own spirits seeming to lift. 

Had she been worried about him? Of course she had.

“You’re right, you know. I do love him, but there’s someone else I love just as much, if not more.”

“Oh? Anyone I know?”

“Perhaps I’ll tell you one day. For now, I suppose we should start on breakfast.”

Eriol went to stand, only to pause when he sensed someone approaching. He turned toward the gate, frowning as he caught sight of Touya and Yukito. Despite his revelation, his heart still lurched in his chest on seeing the two of them together. Kaho stood beside him, reaching over to give his arm a brief squeeze of reassurance.

The gate opened before they reached it. Eriol didn’t feel a need to hide his magic now. As the two drew closer, he snorted softly on seeing Kero settled in the hood of Yukito’s jacket. Touya’s eyes widened briefly on spotting Kaho, but he quickly schooled his expression.

“I didn’t expect to see you all so soon,” Eriol offered by way of greeting.

“Yeah, well, we have a few pressing things we need to take care of,” Touya said, frowning at him.

It seemed as though Touya still didn’t like him. Eriol smiled faintly. The feeling was mutual.

“Oh?”

Touya’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t play dumb. You just bailed without any kind of explanation. Yue and Kero are just as lost as I am about how to handle whatever comes next.”

“Hey! I’m not lost!” Kero groused, standing up in Yukito’s hood, his paws resting on Yukito’s shoulder for balance.

“Why don’t you come in and we’ll discuss it over breakfast?”

Yukito’s stomach growled at the mention of the word and he pinked.

Eriol motioned for them to follow, heading back into his house and making a beeline for the kitchen. The others trooped after him, their silence deafening. Eriol didn’t bother to speak up as he began taking ingredients from the cabinets and refrigerator. Without prompting, Kaho began to cut the raw chicken thighs he’d pulled out into bite-sized pieces.

“Is there something we can do to help?” Yukito prompted, earning a frown from Touya.

Eriol shook his head. “You’re guests.”

Yukito didn’t look entirely thrilled by the answer, but nodded. Eriol, meanwhile, began on the miso soup that would accompany the oyakodon. Touya crossed his arms, frowning harder in Eriol’s direction. Eriol didn’t miss how his eyes shifted every so often to Kaho. Despite the knowing smile Kaho had offered him outside, neither had said anything to the other. 

For his part, Yukito seemed to be avoiding looking at Kaho whatsoever. Eriol’s curiosity piqued at how oddly they were all acting, but he wasn’t curious enough to ask. He’d prefer not to be reminded of how similar he and Touya were when it came to their love interests.

“What would you like to know?” Eriol asked, once he felt like Touya had been left to stew for long enough.

Touya shot him a withering look. “How about everything? You haven’t exactly been forthcoming.”

“That’s a bit vague.”

Yukito hesitated a moment before offering, “Mostly Touya wanted to know how to transform the Cards like you were talking about before.”

Eriol glanced to him, his face unreadable. Yukito dropped his gaze to the counter. Eriol told himself he shouldn’t care, and yet it was obvious something was bothering Yukito.

“And what do you want to know, Yukito?”

He didn’t look up, though he did frown. It looked odd on him. 

“Well?” Eriol demanded.

“I… I wanted to thank you. For helping me.”

Whatever he’d been expecting, it hadn’t been that. Eriol’s eyes widened. He quickly schooled his expression.

“Thank me? You aren’t here to berate me for lying to you?”

Yukito shook his head. “I’m sure you had your reasons for not telling me.”

Did he? Had he kept the truth from Yukito purely to satisfy the part of him that liked to keep secrets? The part of him that liked to be the only one who knew everything? The trait had been a fault of Clow’s. One Eriol hadn’t thought they shared.

Why had he kept the truth from Yukito?

Eriol belatedly realized the soup was on the verge of boiling and he quickly turned off the burner. He turned his attention to preparing rice.

Silence lingered, somehow making the large kitchen feel oppressive. 

“The Guardians have to be able to decide for themselves,” Kaho said.

Eriol lifted his head, looking toward her as she began adding the chicken to her simmering frying pan.

“That’s what you told me,” she offered. “Wouldn’t it have given you an unfair advantage if you’d told him everything upfront?” 

Eriol didn’t immediately answer. The more he thought about it, the more he realized his reasoning hadn’t been nearly as altruistic as she believed. Kaho subtly nudged him and realization dawned. She was giving him an out.

“It’s true,” he admitted.

“I’m sure that was the only reason,” Touya drawled.

Yukito nudged him and he grimaced, rubbing his arm. Eriol couldn’t help but smile.

“Aren’t you wondering what happens to you now?” Eriol asked, eager to steer the subject to safer territory.

Yukito opened his mouth only to close it again. He crossed his arms, though it looked more like he was hugging himself than anything else. Eriol felt a small pang of guilt.

“You don’t have anything to worry about,” he said, taking pity on him. “You might be Yue’s false form, but you aren’t going to vanish now just because he’s strong enough to assume his true form.”

“But...it’s his body, isn’t it?”

Eriol arched a brow, reaching over to pinch his arm. Yukito gave a soft yelp, rubbing at the spot and frowning.

“Did you feel that or was it just him that did?”

Some of the worry and fear eased from Yukito’s expression.

“But...won’t he want to be himself more often now?”

Eriol absently shook his head as he began to crack a full dozen eggs into a bowl. “The barrier between the two of you has already weakened. You might be the one in control now, but he still knows what’s happening. I imagine the same is now also true for you when he’s in control.”

Yukito gave a small nod. “It is. Is this...how it was supposed to happen?”

Eriol shrugged as he beat the eggs. “Not everything can be predicted. The two of you might have separate personalities, but you’re bound to one another at the deepest level. I imagine the barrier between you will continue to weaken over time. Whether or not that means you’ll eventually become one person remains to be seen. Even if that does happen, I don’t imagine it will happen any time soon.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Eriol saw Touya’s shoulders sag with relief.

“Besides, Yue can’t eat. You can mitigate how much energy he needs to draw from Touya by supplying the two of you with some of your own. Your appetite should return to normal once you can begin drawing on Touya’s magic.”

Touya snorted. “So he’ll just eat one grocery aisle a day instead of five.”

“Have you considered the fact he might be sensitive about how much he eats?” Eriol prompted.

Touya’s brows lifted, his eyes widening a touch. Apparently not.

“Thank you, Eriol,” Yukito insisted. “You’ve done so much for me. I feel like… I feel like I haven’t done anything for you in return. Is there something I can do to repay you?”

Eriol could think of a few things, but they might put a strain on Yukito and Touya’s relationship. He shook his head. “Just continue to keep Touya in check and that will be more than enough.”

“Excuse me?” Touya demanded.

Yukito silenced him with a look, though he was finally smiling again. Eriol felt a mirroring smile come to his own face.

Touya sighed heavily. “So now that we’ve got that settled, how the hell do I change the Cards?”

Eriol poured the eggs into Kaho’s pan. “I can help with that. If you try to transform them without giving them some kind of job to do, you run the risk of confusing them and having them run rampant.” 

“Oh? So now you want to be helpful?”

“Touya!” Yukito admonished.

Eriol smirked. As little as he wanted to help Touya, he did want what was best for the Guardians and for the Cards. Having free rein to put Touya in his place in the process was just icing on the cake.

As the food finished cooking, he pulled dishes and utensils from the cabinets and filled everyone’s plates. Naturally, Yukito got the largest serving, much to Kero’s dismay. As they all tucked into the meal, the remaining tension and hostility drained from the room.

It was both too soon and not soon enough when he and Kaho saw their guests to the door after the meal. Touya had nearly had to drag Yukito from the kitchen, where he’d been trying to start on the dishes.

Part of Eriol lamented the fact he wouldn’t be heading back to England now. He’d said he would help Touya transform the Cards and he would keep his word. Even so, he felt he could have used a fresh start after everything that had happened.

Just as he went to close the door, Yukito called out his name. Eriol opened it again, arching a brow.

“Yes?”

Yukito fumbled briefly with the inner pocket of his light coat before taking out a large envelope and handing it to him.

“What’s this?” Eriol asked, staring curiously down at it.

“Open it. Please?”

Eriol pulled the tucked flap out of it and took out the thick sheet of paper inside that was folded like a card. He opened it, jumping a little when a small cherry blossom tree popped up from where it had been pressed against the paper. His eyes slowly moved across it, taking in the minute details. It looked as if dozens of small flowers had been carefully glued onto it one by one.

He glanced up, surprised to see Yukito’s face flushed.

“It isn’t much, especially after all you’ve given me, but I wanted to give you something in return. I know it’s just a silly pop up card, but I wanted to make you something and I’m not an artist like you are.”

“You made this?”

Yukito rubbed the back of his neck, gaze dropping to the ground. “I’m sorry. I should’ve just bought you something instead. I just--”

“It’s perfect.”

Yukito’s head jerked up. “What?”

“It’s obvious how much time you put into it. Especially with how fine the details are. I’d be surprised if something like this didn’t take you hours.’

Yukito chuckled. “Hours is an understatement. I went through a few trial runs before I finally got it right.”

“Thank you, Yukito. I’ll be sure to treasure it.”

He nodded, looking relieved. 

“Your painting should be ready to take home soon. I can bring it by or you can come back to pick it up if you like.”

“Whichever you prefer,” Yukito insisted. “I’ve already decided on a place to hang it and everything.”

“I’ll give you a call when it’s done and we’ll decide then,” he said, folding the card and carefully putting it back into its envelope. As Yukito turned to head back to Touya, Kero peered at Eriol from where he was once more settled in Yukito’s hood.

Although Eriol felt a pang of loss and longing as Yukito walked away, it wasn’t as powerful as he’d feared. He closed the door once Yukito and Touya were out of sight. While he and Kaho headed back to the kitchen, she gave his arm a gentle squeeze. Eriol found himself staring at her as if he were seeing her for the first time all over again. 

He may have been distracted by Yukito and Yue, but he had a feeling he would get past his heartache soon enough with Kaho there to bolster him. He just wished he hadn’t been so foolish as to forget how special she was in the first place.


	25. Epilogue - Yue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is officially the last chapter of Blue Moon on the Rise. Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this story and for your words of encouragement! You're all awesome and so sweet! I'd like to thank Gourmet in particular for her willingness to help me when I ambushed her with grammar questions and whatnot over the past few weeks.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed the story! I certainly enjoyed writing it!

“Well?”

Yue didn’t answer, still staring silently down at what Touya had placed before him. He’d known Touya was up to something. While they hadn’t spent much time together since the Final Judgment, outside of changing the Cards and the occasional “team meeting” (as Kero called them), he had seen enough through Yukito’s eyes to be suspicious.

Touya frowned, holding up the shirt. It wasn’t one of Yukito’s. Yue recognized them all by now. No, the clothing Touya was offering him was new.

The question was...why?

It wasn’t that he disliked the clothing. The shirt was a dark blue and depicted a full moon rising behind a copse of trees. Jeans, boxers, socks, and shoes still sat on the bed beside Touya.

“Is this your attempt to...repay me?” Yue finally asked. 

He failed to understand why Touya was so determined to make things up to him after their fight months before. Honestly, he’d hoped Touya had forgotten. Apparently not.

“Sort of. I want to take you somewhere.”

Yue’s brows lifted. 

“You’d be more comfortable dressed like...like...a normal person.”

“Normal?”

Touya sighed heavily. “What I mean is, I think you’d be more comfortable if you blended in. There’s also the fact I don’t know how people would react to a guy with wings wandering around Tomoeda.”

“Even if I were to ‘wander around,’ I am perfectly capable of concealing my wings. I am also already dressed.”

“Look, you know how much I love how you look in white, but you’re going to stand out like a sore thumb.”

Yue stared silently back at him, brows furrowed. 

“What?” Touya prompted, frowning.

“Was that a joke or were you thinking of Yukito?”

Touya looked briefly puzzled before he shook his head. “No, I meant you and it wasn’t a joke.”

Yue’s eyes widened minutely. Though the change was slight, compared to his typical expression it indicated complete and utter shock.

Finally, Yue said, “If you are concerned about drawing unwanted attention, why not take Yukito?”

Touya looked heavenward. “Because I’m taking  _ you _ . Now, will you change?”

Kero poked his head up out of the desk drawer he’d deemed his bedroom. Yue was grateful Kero hadn’t taken Yukito up on his offer to stay at his home instead of the Kinomoto residence. The longer he could avoid constant contact with him, the better.

“Won’t his creepy eyes and horrible people skills draw unwanted attention?”

Creepy?

Touya shot Kero a look. “Hey, unless you’re going to help, maybe you should butt out.”

“Even if they don’t, people are just going to wind up stepping all over his hair,” Kero offered in parting before he sank back out of sight.

Yue’s hand instinctively moved toward his hair, fingers tangling in it as he brought it over his shoulder.

“Goddammit,” Touya groused. “I didn’t even think about that.”

Yue narrowly resisted the urge to ask if he’d thought about any of it.

“Look,” Touya continued, “why don’t you go ahead and change and we’ll figure out your hair after?”

Despite his misgivings, Yue retracted his wings. He rested his hands on the front of his robes as he debated on how best to proceed from there. Finally he reluctantly slid his robes off along with the rest of his clothing, glancing up as Touya quickly turned away.

While Yue had never worn clothes like these before, Yukito had. It wasn’t difficult to sort them out, though he struggled with the shirt. As if sensing as much, Touya turned back to him.

“You want some help? It looks like your hair is in the way.”

“There is a reason I dress the way I do.”

Touya snorted. “You mean it’s not just because that’s all you have to wear?”

Yue frowned at him, seriously considering telling him just what he could do with the clothing and his planned outing.

“We can get you some other clothes, you know,” Touya said as he made his way over. “You don’t have to wear the same thing all the time. We could also…” He trailed off.

Yue didn’t ask what he’d been about to say, instead he let the silence stretch between them until Touya continued.

“I mean, have you ever considered...trimming your hair? I know Yukito cuts his. I’m assuming yours grows too, unless it’s just...always been that way.”

Yue’s fingers tangled once more in his hair, his eyes dropping to it. “You want me to cut it,” he realized.

“Yes. Well, no. I mean, if you want to. I figure it’s gotta be pretty hard to manage, what with how long it is.”

He didn’t answer as he considered the strands he held. Touya wanted him to cut his hair. Touya was the Master. Still, the thought of cutting it left him feeling oddly bereft.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled it slightly to the side, his free hand beginning to glow. Before he could slice through the strands, Touya caught his wrist.

“Hey. What are you doing?”

“You want me to cut it.”

Touya gave him a frown Yue knew was typically reserved for Yukito. It conveyed concern rather than disapproval. Yue had never expected it to be directed at him. He’d felt uncomfortable before, but the sensation was overpowering now. He needed to shift back into Yukito. That would fix this. 

He closed his eyes, directing his power toward the change. He froze, however, when Touya cupped his cheek with his free hand.

“Are you okay?”

Yue’s eyes searched Touya’s as his confusion and discomfort continued to build.

“Yue?”

“You should go on this outing with Yukito.”

Touya sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t want to go on it with Yukito. I want to go on it with you. If you don’t want to cut your hair, that’s perfectly fine. It’s  _ your _ hair, not mine.”

“You are the Master.”

“Every time you say that, I want to resurrect Clow Reed and punch him in the face.”

The odd statement caught Yue off guard and he stared blankly back at Touya.

“What I mean to say, is that just because you and Kero and the Cards are bound to me, doesn’t mean I’m your Master. It just means we’re in a symbiotic relationship. You need me and I need you. That’s all. We’re all still individuals and that’s how it should be.”

Yue wasn’t convinced. Touya seemed to sense as much. He released Yue’s wrist and cheek, taking his hair into his hands. He carefully lifted it so he could help Yue pull it through the shirt’s collar. With Touya’s help, it was easy.

“Sit down,” Touya said, gesturing to the bed.

Yue tentatively perched on the edge of it. The bed sank further as Touya sat down behind him. Touya pulled Yue’s hair into his lap, unbinding it and combing his fingers through it. Yue’s eyelids grew heavy at the resulting gentle tugs against his scalp. Whatever Touya was doing, Yue found himself hoping it took a while.

By the time Touya stopped, Yue was nearly boneless. He was convinced that the only thing that could have been better was if Touya’s fingers had been in his feathers instead of his hair.

“There,” Touya declared, patting him on the shoulder.

Yue twisted where he sat, catching a glimpse of the enormous braid Touya had worked his hair into. His hair was still long, but was no longer in danger of dragging across the ground or being stepped on. He reached back, pulling the end of the braid into his lap. It was heavier than he’d expected.

“Now we just need the socks and shoes and we’re ready,” Touya continued.

He didn’t quite manage to hide a grimace and Touya laughed. 

“Yuki wears shoes all the time.”

“I am not Yukito.”

Touya rolled his eyes, handing him the socks. Yue begrudgingly pulled them on along with the shoes, tying them awkwardly despite how easily it came to Yukito. Touya stood, offering him a hand. Yue took it, letting him pull him to his feet.

“How’re you feeling?” Touya prompted. “Everything comfortable? Do we need to make any changes?”

Yue stared down at his feet as he tried to move his toes inside the shoes, frowning at how restrictive they were.

“Look, I’ll get you a pair of sandals next time, okay?”

“Next time?” he echoed, quiet horror in his voice.

Touya laughed, taking his hand and tugging him toward the door. It took a few steps, but Yue adjusted to the odd clothing and shoes, moving with his usual grace by the time they passed through the door. Touya came to an abrupt stop just outside. Yue looked past him, his eyes meeting Touya’s sister’s.

Sakura stared at the two of them, looking torn between awe and utter confusion. “You didn’t tell me you were going to have someone over, Touya!”

“I didn’t know you were going to be home early,” Touya retorted, leading Yue toward the stairs.

Sakura frowned after them. “Touya!”

Touya stopped at the top of the stairs, looking back to her. “ _ What _ ?”

“...does Yukito know?”

“Does Yukito know what?” Touya echoed.

She stared pointedly at their clasped hands Touya seemed to belatedly realize their fingers were still intertwined. Yue expected him to immediately release his. Touya didn’t. Instead, he gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“It’s okay, monster. You don’t need to worry about Yukito. He knows Yue’s visiting.”

Sakura didn’t look entirely convinced, but the nickname derailed whatever concerns she had and Touya quickly retreated.

“Touya! You take that back! I  _ am not _ a monster!”

“Whatever you say!” Touya called back to her, hurrying Yue down the stairs and out the front door.

“Guess this makes you the other man,” Touya said once the door closed behind them and Sakura was out of earshot.

“Other man?”

“She thinks I’m cheating on Yukito with you. Since she likes him more than she likes me, I’m sure I’m going to hear all about it when I get back.”

“Cheating?”

The longer Yue spent in Touya’s company, the more hopelessly confused he became. As someone that wasn’t easily confused, it was disconcerting to say the least.

“Don’t worry about it,” Touya said, finally releasing his hand.

Yue forced himself to ignore how empty his hand now felt. 

Touya started down the sidewalk, motioning for him to follow. Yue followed, conscious of the way his braid swung back and forth behind him. His hair was too long to notice the sensation the way he normally wore it.

He’d seen bits and pieces of the city up to this point, but it was different now in the daylight and amongst others. He’d experienced much more of it through Yukito, though then it had been like staring at the world through a cloudy window. Yue was shocked to find himself gawking and quickly got himself back under control. Touya glanced over at him, offering him a smile.

“Where are we going?”

“I wanted to show you around.”

Yue pursed his lips. “Why?”

“Because I wanted to show you around.”

“I have been around.”

Touya gave a small shake of his head as they made their way toward the area more heavily populated by businesses. Despite Touya’s best efforts, Yue couldn’t help but notice he was being stared at. He turned, looking at a group of girls who immediately giggled and fled.

Was he creepy after all?

“Don’t worry about them,” Touya said. “They’re harmless.”

Easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one being stared at as if he were a freak of nature. Another group of girls fled in a flurry of giggles and Yue set his jaw.

“It’s okay,” Touya said, giving his arm a brief squeeze.

Yue started at the touch, eyes dropping to where Touya’s hand had been. “Are they afraid of me?”

Touya laughed. Yue got the distinct impression he was laughing at him. Yukito wasn’t being at all helpful either. Though he didn’t have as much awareness when Yue was in control, he was usually more of a presence within their shared consciousness. 

“They’re not afraid of you,” Touya insisted, drawing him from his thoughts. “They’re attracted to you. Girls are like that. Either they don’t understand the concept of personal space, or they can hardly stand to be around you.”

Attracted?

Touya offered him a sympathetic smile. “It just comes with the territory of being devastatingly handsome.”

“...are you making fun of me?”

Touya came to a stop, hands resting on his hips. “I’m not making fun of you. Yukito gets that sort of attention too, y’know. Except I guess he’d be considered more...cute than handsome.”

Yue frowned up at him. “Yukito is cute?” 

Wasn’t that an insult?

“He’s softer around the edges. It makes him more approachable, which means girls tend to be all over him. You’re more intimidating, which means more of a distant appreciation and likely a lot more gossip.”

That made him feel marginally better, even if he was still hopelessly confused. “Why does any of it matter?”

“I figured I should warn you if you’re going to be out and about more often.”

“Why would I be?”

Touya turned, starting off again. Yue trailed after, annoyed his question had been ignored. Again, whatever Yukito saw in Touya was beyond him.

They approached one of the shops and Touya opened the door, stepping inside and holding it for him. Yue followed, coming to a stop at the front of the store. He had never seen so many books in his life.

“You okay?”

He nodded slowly, heading deeper into the store. Touya quickly became part of the background as he moved meticulously through the aisles. The history section completely captivated him. He pulled one book after another off the shelves, studying the covers and flipping through a few pages of each.

“Do you want to get any of them?” Touya prompted.

Yue didn’t know when Touya had rejoined him. He didn’t particularly care either. He deemed the book on China to be worth more than a brief flip through, and he silently skimmed the first few pages. 

“Earth to Yue.”

He blinked, glancing up. He felt mildly disoriented after how engrossed he’d been.  “What?”

“I asked if you want to get any of them.”

He arched a brow. “Why would I?”

Touya stared patiently back at him. “To read?” he hazarded.

“I fail to see when I would have the time.”

Touya seemed to barely resist the urge to sigh. “Look, it’s okay if you don’t want to be the one in control all that often, but I think it would be healthier for you to be able to get some time to pursue things that interest you.”

“What about Yukito?”

“Yukito’s fine with it.”

Yue must not have looked convinced.

“Do you not want some time for yourself? I’d feel like an asshole if you only ever showed up when there’s work to do. Like I said, I’m not your Master. You deserve to have a life too.”

A life?

Touya plucked the book from his hands despite his protest. Touya grabbed a few others and started back to the front of the store. Yue frowned as he moved after him. 

“What are you doing?”

Touya ignored him, setting the books on the counter. The shopkeeper, a younger woman, spent most of her time ringing them up staring at Yue. He forced himself to remember that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. He was convinced she might be ill though, what with how red her face was.

She handed Touya his change and the bag once she finished and Touya headed out of the shop after expressing his thanks. Yue thanked her as well, frowning faintly when she only grew redder.

“Is she well?” he asked once they were out of earshot.

“What?”

“She looked as if she might be feverish.”

Touya chuckled. “She was just blushing. Like I said, you’re very handsome, especially for Tomoeda. I’m sure you could have your pick of women if you wanted.”

“I would not like to pick women.”

“Something else you and Yukito have in common. Is there anything else you’d like to see or anywhere else you’d like to go?”

As curious as he was, Yue already felt completely overwhelmed. He shook his head. “Perhaps another time.”

Touya’s face lit up. “So you want to go on another outing?”

The expression did something odd to his middle, leaving Yue a bit breathless. He felt his face warm and quickly turned from him, hoping Touya hadn’t noticed. He was being ridiculous. Touya had Yukito.

Touya gently caught him by the arm, pulling him to a stop. “Look, I know this whole thing is a bit unorthodox, what with you and Yukito sharing a body. While you both have different personalities and thoughts and feelings, you’re still connected. I’d like a chance to get to know you better. I’d like to spend more time with you.”

“I...suppose there’s no harm in it.”

“Don’t get too excited now,” Touya teased.

Touya didn’t immediately pull away and Yue was immediately aware of how close they were and how Touya had not yet released his arm. His mouth went dry and he struggled to think, let alone pull away.

Gradually, Touya leaned closer, their lips becoming mere centimeters apart. Shock washed through Yue as Touya pressed their lips together and into a gentle kiss. He tentatively returned it, taking a step closer to Touya in the process.

When Touya finally pulled back, he offered him a warm smile. “Was that okay?”

Yue nodded, face uncharacteristically warm. “Does this mean that I am the other man?”

Touya snorted softly. “No. Sure, it’s complicated, but I care about you and Yukito in the same, but also different ways. And, if this is something you’d like to pursue, maybe our next outing can be an actual date.”

“Like one of the ones you go on with Yukito?”

He nodded. “Don’t feel like you have to because of Yukito though. I’m sure we could figure something out if you’d rather see someone else.”

Yue didn’t answer for a long moment. Instead, he rested his hand on Touya’s shoulder. Before he lost his nerve, he jerked Touya forward into a much harder kiss. When they finally separated, Touya panted softly. His eyes were dark with desire.

“Guess that answers that question, huh?”

“Shut up,” Yue answered, starting back toward the Kinomoto household. “I will consider your offer.”

Maybe he was starting to see what Yukito saw in Touya after all. 


End file.
